newswire.ca
Diabetes Month kicks off with frightening statistics
TORONTO, Nov. 2 /CNW/
The numbers are frightening
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A recent survey conducted by Thompson Lightstone & Company Limited on
behalf of JDF found that just half of the people surveyed believe that
diabetes only poses a serious health risk, as it is controlled by insulin.
''The reality is quite different,'' says Kate MacDonald, National Executive
Director of JDF. ''Diabetes and its complications kill more people each year
than breast cancer, AIDS and lupus combined, yet just 15 per cent ranked
diabetes first on the list of life-threatening illnesses. This fell behind
breast cancer, which received more than half, and AIDS, which received just
over one-quarter. Canadians, many of whom may suffer from diabetes and do not
yet know it, need to understand the seriousness of this disease and the
potential health threats it represents.''
MacDonald also said survey results demonstrated an urgency to provide
Canadians with an understanding of the many risk factors associated with
diabetes. Only 42 per cent of those surveyed were aware of all of the risk
factors, including:
- Being more than 20 per cent overweight
- Having high blood sugar levels
- Being over 45 years of age.
For example, only one-quarter of respondents were aware that having given
birth to a large baby was a factor, and 87 per cent were unaware that being of
Hispanic, African or Aboriginal origin also increased the likelihood of the
disease.
''Diabetes is often referred to as the 'silent killer' because
approximately 750,000 of the 2.25 million Canadians who suffer from the
disease don't even know they have it, probably because most don't recognize
the symptoms,'' continues MacDonald. ''The reality is that one in 20 Canadians
have diabetes -- many of them children who in their lifetime may experience
complications such as blindness, nerve damage, stroke, amputation, heart and
kidney disease, even with daily doses of insulin to regulate blood sugar
levels.''
On average, those respondents aged 18 to 29 were less aware of the
disease's symptoms, with 43 per cent unaware of all of the symptoms. The
symptoms include:
- frequent urination
- unusual thirst
- change in appetite
- unexplained weight loss
- blurred vision
- extreme fatigue
- slow healing of cuts
- sores or skin infections
''During the month of November -- Diabetes Month in Canada -- we want to
raise awareness of the symptoms of the disease so that Canadians who have
diabetes will get diagnosed and begin to manage it properly. But we also want
to raise awareness of its devastating complications so that Canadians will
understand that insulin is not a cure. JDF's mission is to find a cure for
diabetes and its complications through the support of research -- we need to
find one as soon as possible.''
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