Political Quotes

“diabetes is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease affecting more than 16 million Americans at a cost of more than $105 billion annually. Moreover, since 3 million elderly Medicare beneficiaries have been diagnosed with diabetes, and another 3 million are likely to have the disease but not know it, nowhere is the economic impact of diabetes felt more strongly than in the Medicare Program. Treating these seniors for the often devastating complications associated with diabetes accounts for more than one-quarter of all Medicare expenditures. Therefore, helping diabetic seniors avoid the complications of their disease will not only improve the quality of their lives but also help reduce the economic burden that diabetes places on Medicare. While there is no known cure, diabetes is largely a treatable disease. Many people who have diabetes can often lead relatively normal, active lives as long as they stick to a proper diet, carefully monitor the amount of sugar or glucose in their blood and take their medication, which may or may not include insulin. However, if these people with diabetes are unable to follow or do not follow this regimen, they put themselves at risk of blindness, loss of limbs and have an increased chance of heart disease, kidney failure and stroke.”