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Diabetes mellitus

Introduction

This is a disease that results from the body’s inability to produce enough insulin or inability of the body to produce an appropriate response to insulin. This is the hormone regulation the way the body absorbs glucose. The improper functioning of the insulin in the body may result in elevated levels of blood glucose resulting in various abnormal metabolic activities. This finally results in complications in the body functioning. I am interested in this illness because of its prevalence currently. Across the globe, the number of individual suffering from diabetes mellitus has increased in the past ten years and that has brought this concern. Currently, in the United States, the effect is estimated at 29.1 million. The disease has been classified by the healthy people 2020 initiative group as occupying the 7nth position among the leading causes of death currently.

Morbidity and comorbidity in the United States

There are various disparities in the diabetes risk. The people from the minority population are most likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes. The minority groups, in this case, comprises 25% of the adult patient suffering from diabetes in the United States. The majority group comprises the children and adolescent with diabetes type 2. According to the healthy people initiate 2020, the African American, American Indians, and some Asian Americans are at higher risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of this illness among the American Indians is 2-5 times that of the whites. Averagely, African Americans are 1.7 times as likely compared to Mexican Americans (Healthy people 2020, 2016). There are some barriers to the progress of diabetes care. The first one being the challenges arising from the design of the healthcare system and the other one being the continuous increase of diabetes cases. This results to decrease in the attention and resources available for every patient. Apart from the two, there are other comorbidities associated with diabetes. These include fracture risks, cancer risk, and prognosis, cognitive impairment, and incontinence.

Impact on health of the nation

Though manageable, diabetes is still one of the diseases posing a major health threat to the United States population and its healthcare system. This illness affects approximately 26 million people in this country with approximately 18.8 million people diagnosed and about seven million not yet diagnosed. Diabetes comes with an array of health issues. Among them being lower limb amputation, it has been determined to possibly cause blindness and kidney failure. Again, it contributes a lot to cardiovascular diseases. Research has indicated that approximately 68% of people suffering from diabetes end up dying of cardiovascular diseases. Economically, research shows that in 2012, this illness caused the United States to close to $245billion as both direct and indirect costs (The Cost of Diabetes, 2015). Since 1990, the prevalence of this illness has increased by approximately 60% to the currently estimated figures of 29.1 million. Looking at the figure as at 2012 which stood at 18.8 million and the figures produced by the healthy 2020 people as at 2017 which stands at 29.1 million. That indicates clearly how fast this disease is escalating and how much it is affecting the United States healthcare system.

Even though the government is trying all the best to equip the healthcare facilities with the necessary equipment and personnel to fight this disease, the rate at which it is advancing is too high for the government to meet. That is what results in the high doctor-patient ratio and minimum resources allocated to each patient. This intron effects the quality of medical care provided by the hospital facilities across the country and for that matter, the difficulty in fighting the illness sets in. Looking at the total population of the United States population which is approximately 324 million, 29 million are diabetic. That is a large population of unhealthy people. That implies that the number of people who can work effectively to deliver to the country’s economy is reduced by 29 million. The numbers indicate that the health of the United States population is reducing as years passes by.

Healthy people 2020 goals and objectives

The healthy people 2020 initiative have various objectives and goals for this population.

i. Reduce the number of new cases of diabetes. The initiative is aiming at providing lifestyle education and other means of living free of diabetes through conduction public education and awareness.

ii. Reduce death rate caused by diabetes. This involves teaching the diabetic person way to live with diabetes. The concept of disease management is something the initiative has the aimed at doing. This is to be achieved in three ways, the first way is to reduce the general mortality among the persons with diabetes and secondly is to reduce the number of cardiovascular deaths occurring to the diabetic persons. Finally, the initiative is aimed at reducing the rate if lower extremity amputation in diabetic patients.

iii. To improve the glycemic control among diabetic patients. The initiative is aimed at reducing the proportion of the persons with diabetes with an A1c value which is greater than 9%. Secondly, the initiative aims at improving the lipid control in diabetic persons, increase the number of people diagnosed with diabetes and their blood pressure put under control. Ensure that the proportion of persons with diabetes having annual dental examination is increased. Increase the number of diabetic individuals with glycosylated hemoglobin measured at least twice a year. Increases the number of people receiving diabetes education once they are diagnosed with the disease. Increasing the number of diabetic patients performing self –blood glucose monitoring daily. Increase the number of diabetic persons who obtain urinary microalbumin measurement. Increase the number of diagnosed cases of diabetes (Healthy people 2020, 2016).

iv. To increase behaviors for prevention for persons at high risk of suffering diabetes. This goal has the various objectives among them is increasing the number of people at high risk of suffering from diabetes who have prediabetes reporting the increase in levels of physical activity. Secondly, the initiative aims at increasing the number of people with prediabetes reporting attempts of loss of weight. Finally, this initiative also aims at increasing the number of people at high risk of suffering from diabetes who report reduced amounts of fat in their diets.

In general, the main objective of this initiative is to reduce the burden of diabetes and improve quality of life for the people who are suffering from the illness and those at risk of being affected by the disorder.

Questionnaire

Please enter the following details

Name__________________________ Age _________________________________

Gender_________________________ Date_________________________________

Please answer the following questions to the best of your knowledge. Feel free while providing your response and do not feel obligated or compelled.

When were you diagnosed of this disorder?

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What type of diabetes were diagnosed of?

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What were some of the symptoms you had before being diagnosed of this disorder?

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What was your lifestyle before the diagnosis of the disorder? I.e. feeding habit and level of exercise.

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Have any member of your family suffered from diabetes before? If yes please indicate who.

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How do you feel when working or after doing some physical job?

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Please comment on you level of anger?

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How frequent are attended to by your doctor?

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What advice have your doctor given to you on how to make a difference on our physical and emotional health?

What kinds of food have your healthcare team advised you to take?

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Which tests have your healthcare doctor asked you to take?

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What medications have the doctor prescribed for you? Please indicate the dosage where you can.

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What are some of the physical activities your doctor have advised you to undertake?

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References