HR0557 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0557 LRB097 13899 KXB 58656 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Diabetes is a serious chronic condition that affects people of every age, race, income level, and ethnicity who either have a deficiency of insulin or whose bodies have difficulties using insulin; and

WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes affects 25.8 million people in the United States, 8.3% of the population; and

WHEREAS, Seventy-nine million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes and seven million people in the United States are unaware that they have diabetes; and

WHEREAS, Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-limb amputations, and new cases of blindness among adults in the United States, as well as a major cause of heart disease and stroke; and

WHEREAS, Every day, 230 people with diabetes undergo an amputation, 120 people enter end-stage kidney disease programs, and 55 people go blind from diabetes; and

WHEREAS, Diabetes was at least a contributing cause of death in over 231,000 cases in the United States in 2007; and

WHEREAS, People with diagnosed diabetes, on average, have medical expenditures approximately 2.3 times higher than the expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes; and

WHEREAS, Approximately one out of every 3 Medicare dollars is spent on the care of people with diabetes; and

WHEREAS, Among U.S. residents ages 65 years and older, 10.9 million, or 26.9%, had diabetes in 2010, and approximately 215,000 people younger than 20 years old had Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in the United States in 2010; and

WHEREAS, Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is usually first diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults; the body produces little or no insulin and patients must regularly dose themselves with the hormone; and

WHEREAS, Risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes may be autoimmune, genetic, or environmental and there is currently no known method for preventing Type 1 Diabetes; and

WHEREAS, Type 2 Diabetes accounts for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes among adults, usually beginning as an insulin resistance; and

WHEREAS, Type 2 Diabetes is associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, physical inactivity, impaired glucose metabolism, and some racial/ethnicity factors; and

WHEREAS, Persons who are Hispanic, African, Asian, Pacific Islander, or Native American are disproportionately affected by Type 2 diabetes and suffer at rates much higher than the general population; and

WHEREAS, Many people with Type 2 Diabetes can manage their blood glucose with a healthy eating and exercise program while some may require medication, insulin, or both; and

WHEREAS, It is estimated that Gestational Diabetes affects 18% of pregnancies, and may cause complications such as macrosomia, low blood glucose levels at birth, and breathing problems; and

WHEREAS, In the past 20 years, the number of people in Illinois with diagnosed diabetes has more than doubled, reaching approximately 800,000 in 2011, with an additional 500,000 people who are not aware they have the disease; and

WHEREAS, Illinois' estimated health care cost of diabetes is $7.3 billion, with $4.8 billion in direct medical costs and $2.5 billion in indirect costs such as disability, work loss, and premature mortality; and

WHEREAS, Over 8% of adults in Illinois have been told by a health care professional they have diabetes and almost 6% of adults in Illinois have been told by a health care professional they have pre-diabetes; and

WHEREAS, The diabetes adult mortality rate in Illinois is 21.8 per 100,000, making diabetes the seventh-leading cause of death in Illinois while also being the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-limb amputations, new cases of blindness among adults in the United States, and a major cause of heart disease and stroke; and

WHEREAS, People with diabetes can live healthy and productive lives with proper management and treatment; and

WHEREAS, Continued research is essential to discovering new life-saving treatments, technologies, prevention methods, and cures to type 1 and type 2 diabetes; and

WHEREAS, World Diabetes Day was introduced on November 14th, 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to the alarming rise of diabetes around the world; and

WHEREAS, November 14th is the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea that led in 1922 to the discovery of insulin to manage Diabetes; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate November 14, 2011 as Diabetes Awareness Day in the State of Illinois, in order to raise public awareness about stopping diabetes and increase education about the disease; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support efforts to decrease the prevalence of diabetes, develop better treatments, and work toward an eventual cure for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes through increased research, treatment, and prevention.