How to Help
Federal Funding for Research and Programs
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognize the growing impact of diabetes. Both agencies work to bring the disease under control and alleviate the burden it places on our health care system and the United States economy through valuable research and programming.
We strongly urge Congress to pass a budget that increases CDC diabetes prevention and treatment efforts by $23.6 million and NIH diabetes research funding. While these are difficult demands in the current fiscal environment, these numbers reflect the reality of the diabetes burden in the United States.
Investing in Prevention: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
While the burden of diabetes is currently one of the most costly health problems in America, much of the cost could be reduced through programs aimed at preventing diabetes in those at risk and increasing awareness of how to manage diabetes in people who have the disease.
CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT)
The DDT leads the government’s effort to provide comprehensive prevention and treatment programs in communities throughout the country. Its mission is to eliminate the preventable burden of diabetes through leadership, research, programs and policies that translate science into practice. The Division’s strategy has three major components:
- Define the diabetes burden through public health surveillance.
The DDT works with states to develop a nationwide, state-based diabetes surveillance system and is initiating surveillance systems within managed care organizations. - Conduct applied translational research.
The division focuses on translating research findings into clinical and public health practices. Areas of research include: (1) access to quality care for diabetes, especially within managed care organizations; (2) early detection of undiagnosed diabetes; (3) cost-effectiveness of diabetes prevention and control activities; (4) effectiveness of health practices to address risk factors for diabetes; and (5) demonstration of primary prevention of type 2 diabetes. - Develop state-based diabetes prevention and control programs (DPCPs).
The division provides funding for state-based DPCPs across the nation. Developing state health department expertise in diabetes control, the DPCPs helps communities thrive by providing funds for diabetes research and resources to help translate that science into practice, especially for high-risk and disproportionately affected populations.
Research for a Cure: National Institutes of Health
The NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is the primary government agency that conducts research to find a cure and better treatments for diabetes.
NIH researchers have already learned a great deal about the biology of diabetes; and have made great strides toward prevention and improved treatment. In the 1950s, 20% of those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes died within 20 years of the diagnosis. Thanks to research at NIDDK, diabetes patients now have a variety of insulin formulations to control their blood glucose. By finding the genes and environmental factors that contribute to diabetes, researchers could develop ways to prevent or reverse the destruction of the cells that produce insulin. NIDDK research is our best hope for a cure.
Making Progress
NIDDK researchers have made some dramatic discoveries about the genes involved in promoting and preventing type 2 diabetes. Scientists have also found a potential link between a specific gene and type 1 diabetes. Their discoveries provide new avenues for exploration and bring us closer to establishing causes and developing new treatments for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. These studies illustrate the dramatic advances in the fight against diabetes.
