Diabetes rate growing rapidly in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The worldwide diabetes epidemic is taking a huge toll in Minnesota. One-third of all adults in the state either have diabetes or are pre-diabetic, with blood glucose levels that are higher than normal.

Over the past 15 years, the number of Minnesotans with diabetes has grown so fast that state health officials describe the disease as a juggernaut threatening to overwhelm the state’s health care system.

In human terms, diabetes is measured in heart failure, amputations and loss of eyesight. Measured in dollars, the cost is enormous: $2.6 billion a year in Minnesota alone.

As bleak as the numbers are, there is some hope. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota have set out to conquer diabetes within 10 years.

Diabetes strikes when the body stops producing insulin or becomes resistant to insulin. Without insulin in the digestive system, a person cannot convert food to energy. As a result, blood sugars rise to dangerous levels while the body essentially starves.

The discovery of replacement insulin in 1921 transformed the most severe form of diabetes from a fatal disease to a chronic condition. People who were on their death bed were suddenly revived after receiving an injection of insulin. The Canadians who discovered the new treatment received a Nobel Prize for their achievement.

But 91 years later, diabetes is still a devastating disease.

“It’s just awful to watch someone walk in, have a little ulcer on their foot that you say, ‘Hmm this doesn’t look good. We’re going to get you to see the surgeon right away,'” said Dr. Elizabeth Seaquist, a University of Minnesota diabetes specialist. “And in three days they lose their leg.

“These things happen with diabetes,” she said. “It’s a terrible disease.”

Limb amputations, blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and strokes are all caused by repeated exposure to excessive blood sugar levels. Modern treatments can help patients drive down their blood sugars to a normal range. But it’s still an enormous challenge to try to mimic the body’s natural response to food, day in and day out, over the course of a lifetime.

SportsPlus

News

Trump throws Senate GOP budget bill in turmoil as Vance heads to Capitol Hill to meet with senators

Business

Brianne Erickson qualifies for the Ameriprise Chairman’s Advisory Council

Mower County

City council approves moving forward with street projects

Agriculture

Minnesota to begin testing raw cow milk for H5N1

Mower County

SMIF offers free paint for community projects

Crime, Courts & Emergencies

Sargeant man with domestic assault history charged again

Crime, Courts & Emergencies

Two from Austin injured in Friday crash

Blooming Prairie

Education: Blooming Prairie Second Quarter Honor Roll

News

Republicans consider cuts and work requirements for Medicaid, jeopardizing care for millions

Crime, Courts & Emergencies

16-year-old arrested in connection to Saturday’s deadly shooting; victim identified

Education

Area schools call off school due to extreme cold

News

Toronto airport confirms an “incident” occurred with a Delta Airlines flight from Minneapolis

News

Trump moves on budget, policy cast shadow over Minnesota Legislature

Mower County

Arctic chill holds sway this week before a warming

Crime, Courts & Emergencies

One dead following afternoon shooting in NW Austin

Agriculture

FFA Week: Following the journey

Mower County

Amended version of abatement policy passed by county board

Albert Lea

Two friends, bartenders, open What’s Up Bar in Myrtle

Crime, Courts & Emergencies

Man arrested during domestic incident, had loaded firearm

Agriculture

Rural Finance Authority declares emergency due to animal disease outbreaks

News

Around 14 percent of Minnesotans have filed their 2024 taxes so far

Mower County

In Your Community: Duplicate Bridge

Mower County

In Your Community: January Sweeps winner named

Mower County

In Your Community: Mower County Senior Center