In recognition of November highlighting diabetes awareness, I wish to take a moment to remind everyone of the great work we do caring for patients with this disease. No doubt, most of us have seen these patients in our clinics. It is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. According to the CDC's September 2026 National Diabetes Statistics Report, there are 40.1 million people living with diabetes in the United States, roughly 12% of the population, and an additional 115 million US adults with prediabetes, a staggering number. It is estimated that one-third of Americans will develop diabetes in their lifetime. It is also the most expensive chronic condition that we treat with annual costs estimated at $640 billion, or to put it another way $1 of every $4 spent on healthcare in the US is spent on diabetes.
So, what exactly is diabetes? To put it succinctly, it is a disease defined by dysfunctional carbohydrate metabolism. Fundamentally, diabetic patients do not process carbs properly, which leads to elevated glucose levels (blood sugar). These high blood sugars, over years and years, can lead to tissue damage affecting nerves, kidneys, vision, and the cardiovascular system. Poorly controlled diabetes can be a devastating illness, leading to blindness, kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant, limb amputation, and death from cardiovascular causes.
Fortunately, there are a number of options available to patients with diabetes. What was at one time in history a uniformly fatal illness, has evolved into a disease that we manage like other chronic illnesses thanks to the development of various medications, insulin, and advanced technologies such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices and insulin pump therapy.
More than just being a statistic, patients with diabetes represent every strata of society, from 6 month-old babies to 95 year-old seniors. They are our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and children. We see diabetic patients in the grocery store, at church, at the gym, on television and film, in every sport, in every profession, and certainly in our clinics.
Taking care of diabetic patients is an important mission for everyone in healthcare. Whether taking vital signs, talking on the phone, checking patients into their appointments, writing prescriptions, or providing medication samples, everyone is vital to the care of the diabetic. As we gather around our families for the holiday season, I hope we can all take a moment to remember our diabetic patients and be proud of the work we do taking care of them.
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