Diabetes is Underestimated

Sometimes I think diabetes it is the Rodney Dangerfield of health. Unfortunately, it isn't a joke.

A recent study highlighted in this piece at Medscape says diabetes is underestimated as a cause of death in the US. The study puts diabetes, "the third leading cause of death in the United States in 2010, after diseases of the heart and malignant neoplasms and ahead of chronic lower respiratory diseases and cerebrovascular diseases." 

People with diabetes can thrive. By engaging early, we minimize complications, costs, and deaths. We need the appropriate tools and medications to be successful. 

Join me in calling on Congress to maintain the prohibition on pre-existing conditions, like diabetes, being grounds to exclude people from health care coverage. 

It is easy. 

• The Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition has an easy to send letter to Congress. I'm sending it often. You can too.  
• I'm sending Tweets from their Twitter Scorecard. Join me.
• Getting through to our Senator's by phone has been iffy recently. So I 'm sending snail mail. 

Not only do we need to work with our doctors to care for diabetes. We need to work with our elected officials to maintain access to coverage. We need respect.