Hallett Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology
The Diabetes Epidemic
- The Hallett Center was created in 2001 in response to a recognized,
urgent need for a directed program on diabetes mellitus.
 Changes
in diet and exercise habits of people in the United States and throughout
the world, in addition to widely distributed genetic risks, have
resulted in an epidemic increase in diabetes. An estimated 7.3%
of Americans currently have diabetes (7.4% of Rhode Islanders).
More than one in every seven individuals over the age of 60 is affected.
An equal number of people have impaired glucose tolerance, which
is a metabolic state that often progresses to diabetes. More than
one in every five patients admitted to Rhode Island Hospital and
other major hospitals in Rhode Island have diabetes. The number
is increasing in adults and, alarmingly, at an especially rapid
rate in children.
In addition to the immediate problems presented by high blood glucose
levels, long-term complications that develop in patients with diabetes
are responsible for much of the mortality and morbidity of this
disease. Diabetes is now the fifth leading cause of death in the
United States, contributing to more than 200,000 deaths per year.
The diagnosis carries with it increased risks of coronary artery
disease (2- to 5-fold), stroke (2- to 3-fold), blindness (20-fold),
kidney failure (25-fold), and amputation (40-fold). The care of
patients with diabetes requires endocrinologists, multiple other
medical and surgical specialists, and trained and experienced support
staff.
For effective management of diabetes, it is essential to coordinate
the efforts of a multidisciplinary team in order to provide optimal
approaches to blood glucose control, patient education, and interventions
ranging from retinal laser therapy to vascular surgery or transplantation.
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