Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. with nearly 24 million Americans –both children and adults - afflicted by this severe, chronic disease that devastates many of the major organ systems in the body. Many people miss the early warning signs of diabetes or attribute them to something else causing the disease to go undiagnosed and delays in treatment can cause serious damage and lead to premature death. The percentage of Americans with diabetes is increasing each year as obesity and sedentary lifestyles proliferate, costing Americans billions of health care dollars and lost wages. Yet medical experts tell us the most common form of the disease could often be prevented or controlled. For those who live with diabetes it is a constant shadow, requiring a strict regimen of monitoring and lifestyle changes.
The stories of Northeast Ohioans who cope daily with the “constant shadow” of diabetes will be revealed through their rigorous routines of blood glucose monitoring, constant insulin injections and dietary management of the disease to avoid the dramatic fluctuations of blood sugar. Noted medical experts will explain the causes of this complicated disease, how it affects the eyes, kidneys, heart and other organs, often with dire consequences. And, we’ll learn about the newest and most advanced treatments for managing and preventing the disease.