Designating November 2023 as American Diabetes Month.

Designating November 2023 as American Diabetes Month. Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (referred to in this preamble as the CDC (1) an estimated 37,300,000 individuals in the United States have diabetes; and (2) an estimated 96,000,000 individuals in the United States who are 18 years of age or older have prediabetes; Whereas diabetes is a serious chronic condition that affects individuals of every age, race, ethnicity, and income level; Whereas the CDC reports that (1) Hispanic, Black, Asian, American Indian, and Alaska Native adults in the United States are disproportionately affected by diabetes and develop the disease at much higher rates than the general population of the United States; and (2) an estimated 23 percent of individuals with diabetes in the United States have not yet been diagnosed with the disease; Whereas, in the United States, an estimated 11.3 percent of the population, including 29.2 percent of individuals who are 65 years of age or older, have diabetes; Whereas, of the approximately 16,200,000 veterans in the United States, 1 in 4 are receiving care for diabetes from the Department of Veterans Affairs; Whereas the risk of developing type 2 diabetes at some point in life is 40 percent for adults in the United States; Whereas, according to the American Diabetes Association (1) in 2022, the estimated direct and indirect medical costs in the United States for cases of diagnosed diabetes was $412,900,000,000; and (2) as insulin prices rise, 1 in 4 individuals using insulin report reducing use due to insulin cost; Whereas the American Diabetes Association reports that, in 2017, care for individuals with diagnosed diabetes accounted for 1 in 4 health care dollars in the United States; Whereas the cost of health care is estimated to be 2.6 times higher for individuals in the United States with diabetes than those without diabetes; Whereas, as of November 2023, a cure for diabetes does not exist; Whereas there are successful means to reduce the incidence, and delay the onset, of type 2 diabetes; Whereas, with proper management and treatment, individuals with diabetes live healthy and productive lives; and Whereas individuals in the United States celebrate American Diabetes Month in November: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate designates November 2023 as American Diabetes Month, supporting the goals and ideals of American Diabetes Month, including (1) encouraging individuals in the United States to fight diabetes through public awareness of prevention and treatment options; and (2) enhancing diabetes education; (3) recognizing the importance of awareness and early detection, including awareness of symptoms and risk factors such as (A) being (i) older than 45 years of age; or (ii) overweight; and (B) having (i) a particular racial and ethnic background; (ii) a low level of physical activity; (iii) high blood pressure; (iv) a family history of diabetes; or (v) a history of diabetes during pregnancy; (4) supporting a decrease in the prevalence of type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes in the United States through research, treatment, and prevention; and (5) recognizing the importance of addressing barriers to health care that (A) leave many communities at a heightened risk for diabetes; and (B) limit access to health care resources that are needed to effectively prevent the onset, and to manage the condition, of diabetes.

Summary: This resolution designates American Diabetes Month and expresses support for decreasing the prevalence of diabetes in the United States through increased research, treatment, and prevention.