Diabetes, the epidemic

By Mazie Aldrich
The Daily Sentinel

Published August 8, 2005

Look around you, of the five people closest to you, at least one is likely to become diabetic. Diabetes, it is not the “C” word that patients most dread hearing when they visit a physician, but it is every bit as deadly as cancer. Diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness, kidney failure and non-traumatic amputations in the country and diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in Alabama. Why? The cause of diabetes is unknown although several precipitating factors have been identified. Family history increases risk as well as racial or ethnic background and environmental factors such as viruses, nutrition and socioeconomic factors are all considered. Perhaps the answer lies within the sedentary lifestyle of Alabama residents, the lack of exercise, our craving for breads and other carbohydrates and our love of sweets. This is the first of four articles concerning diabetes, its cause and effects and how Jackson County physicians are attempting to educate the public about the severity of the problem in our county.

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