CASTLE FOCUSES ON DIABETES
Co-hosts Diabetes Screening with DE Pharmacists Society
Middletown, DE
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Today, Congressman Mike Castle, co-chair of the Congressional Diabetes
Caucus, joined with the Delaware Pharmacists Society to host a free,
public diabetes screening at the Middletown, Odessa, and Townsend (MOT)
Senior Center in Middletown, Delaware.
Following the screenings, Rep. Castle hosted a brief press conference
to help raise awareness about diabetes and provide information on
diabetes management and preventing the onset of related complications.
At the press conference, Rep. Castle also highlighted legislation that
the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, the largest member organization in
the U.S. House of Representatives (with 250 members), supports.
“I would bet that almost every person in this room knows at least one
person -- a family member, a friend, or a neighbor -- who is living
with diabetes. My goal, as co-chair of the Diabetes Caucus in the U.S.
House of Representatives, is to help convey the pressing nature of this
public health epidemic and to work towards solutions with both public
and private entities," said Rep. Castle. “Currently, we are working on
various legislation to include podiatrists as physicians under
Medicaid, to support the unique challenges faced by minority
populations in diabetes education, treatment, care, and outcomes, and
to provide Medicare reimbursement for certified diabetes educators.
However, the real key is prevention and a robust research program.”
“Additionally, the potential for curing Diabetes may lie in embryonic
stem cell research. I have spearheaded the initiative in Congress to
remove existing federal barriers to funding and expansion of embryonic
stem cell research. This is an initiative that President-elect Obama
has named a priority for 2009 and I look forward to working with him in
making this a reality. This research has such great potential to
improve the lives of so many people who suffer from diseases for which
there are no good treatments or cures."
Following the Congressman’s remarks, Phyllis Bruce, one of the
pharmacists who helped with today’s tests, spoke briefly about living
with diabetes. Since 1987, death rates due to diabetes have continued
to rise, while the death rates due to heart disease, stroke and cancer
have declined. Nearly 24 million children and adults are currently
living with diabetes and another 57 million Americans are at risk for
developing type 2 diabetes. In Delaware, there are approximately 70,000
throughout the state that suffer from various forms of the disease.