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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 830 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 830

Urging health care providers to engage in a strong program to prevent, 
 detect, and treat diabetes, including through the use of a treatment 
        regimen that includes certain minimum clinical practice 
   recommendations, including measurements of body weight and other 
                        associated risk factors.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 15, 2007

  Mrs. Christensen (for herself, Mr. Rush, Mr. Bilbray, Mrs. Davis of 
   California, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Bishop of 
 Georgia, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Jefferson, 
Mr. Wynn, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Towns, and Mr. Cleaver) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
                              and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Urging health care providers to engage in a strong program to prevent, 
 detect, and treat diabetes, including through the use of a treatment 
        regimen that includes certain minimum clinical practice 
   recommendations, including measurements of body weight and other 
                        associated risk factors.

Whereas diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce enough of its 
        own insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food 
        into energy;
Whereas diabetes is a chronic disease that has no cure;
Whereas the serious long-term complications of high blood sugar levels may 
        include blindness, lower-extremity amputation, heart disease, kidney 
        failure, and premature death, and diabetes is the sixth leading cause of 
        death in the United States;
Whereas people with type 2 diabetes often have no immediately discernible 
        symptoms;
Whereas the United States is facing a diabetes epidemic with an estimated 
        20,800,000 Americans living with the disease;
Whereas according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the health 
        consequences of diabetes are much greater for minorities as minorities 
        have a higher prevalence of diabetes resulting in higher rates of 
        diabetes-related complications and death;
Whereas all minorities, except Alaska Natives, have a prevalence of type 2 
        diabetes that is two to six times greater than that of the white 
        population;
Whereas between 1997 and 2004 the number of cases of diabetes has increased over 
        41 percent and 9 out of 10 diagnosed individuals suffer from obesity;
Whereas the keys to reducing the incidence of, and complications associated 
        with, diabetes are education, early detection, control, and proper 
        treatment and the earlier a person is diagnosed with diabetes and 
        receives treatment, the better the person's chances are for avoiding 
        complications associated with diabetes;
Whereas the first line of treatment recommended by all treatment standards is 
        diet and exercise because a healthy diet and the loss of excess weight 
        can have a positive impact on the body's ability to fight off disease, 
        it has been shown that modest weight loss may help to lower blood sugar, 
        blood pressure, and improve the level of fats in the bloodstream, and 
        modest weight loss can be beneficial to the treatment of diabetes and 
        other metabolic diseases;
Whereas traditionally those at highest risk for diabetes are older citizens in 
        minority populations who have a family history of the disease and who 
        are overweight, but there is an alarming increase in recent years in the 
        growing number of younger people who are being diagnosed with diabetes 
        because of factors such as lifestyle and excessive body mass; and
Whereas to reduce the rate of occurrence of diabetes and its complications among 
        high-risk populations, individuals are encouraged to seek early 
        screening and early treatment, health care workers are encouraged to 
        improve care for the control of diabetes and the treatment of major 
        complications associated with diabetes: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) encourages health care providers to reduce the rate of 
        occurrence of diabetes and its complications by engaging in a 
        strong program with their patients to prevent, detect, and 
        treat the disease, including through the use of a treatment 
        regimen that includes minimum clinical practice recommendations 
        published by the American Diabetes Association on January 1, 
        2007, and through the use of measurements of body weight and 
        other risk factors associated with diabetes; and
            (2) commends health care providers in the United States for 
        their commitment to countering the diabetes epidemic.
                                 <all>
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