FOR IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday, July 16, 2009

• 1 in every 13 Americans has diabetes and the rate of new diabetes cases in the US has nearly doubled in the last ten years
• Nearly a third of diabetics are unaware they have the disease
• $116 billion were spent on treatment and care for diabetes in 2007, nearly 5 % of total health care spending that same year. 
• The disease is estimated to have cost an additional $58 billion in lost wages and productivity.
• Of fourteen communities surveyed nationally, Cleveland had among the highest rates of leg amputations and preventable hospitalizations.  Diabetes is believed to be the predominant cause for those statistics.

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 can 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.

During the month of July, ideastream® is presenting multi-media coverage —via TV, radio and web—examining this silent killer with a special 30-minute local television broadcast, a series of in-depth reports, two Sound of Ideas radio programs, and interviews on Feagler & Friends.

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.

WATCH — LISTEN – CONNECT

WATCH WVIZ/PBS
• Feagler & Friends (Friday, July 17 at 8:30pm and Sunday, July 19 at 11:30am)
ideastream health reporter Gretchen Cuda reports on the relationship between diabetes and obesity and the high rate of diabetic-related leg, feet and toe amputations in greater Cleveland. 
• Diabetes: The Constant Shadow (Thursday, July 23 at 8pm)
Watch the stories of NE Ohioans living with diabetes; learn about how it ravages the body; why it’s on the rise and what can be done to bring it under control. 
Encore broadcasts: Sunday July 26 at 5:00pm and 10:30pm; Monday July 27 at 7:30pm
• Health Sense: Diabetes (Thursday, July 23 at 8:30pm and Sunday, July 26, 5:30pm)
This episode of Health Sense takes a look at this often-undiagnosed condition that affects millions of Americans. Experts discuss diagnosing and treating this condition. Diabetics offer insight into living and dealing with this disease on a daily basis, including the tragic deaths of friends that could have been avoided.

LISTEN to 90.3 WCPN
Morning Edition (weekdays, 6-9am)
In-Depth Coverage:
• Friday, July 17: Why is diabetes nearing epidemic status in America and what does that mean for our health?  Hear an overview on the causes and costs of one of the country’s greatest health problems. 
• Monday, July 20:  With over 24 million Americans diagnosed as diabetic, it is one of the nation’s fastest growing diseases; millions don’t even know they have it.  Moreover, most cases could be avoided.  Learn about symptoms, treatment and prevention in this in-depth report. 
• Thursday, July 23:  Certain racial and ethnic minorities, including African Americans and Latinos, are more likely to develop diabetes. An in-depth report of what’s behind this disparity and how can it be addressed.
• Friday, July 24:  Twice as many people live with diabetes as live with cancer, but cancer receives six times the funding for research.  Why is diabetes research underfunded?  A diabetes expert talks about current diabetes research efforts and what we need to know to better treat and prevent it.

Sound of Ideas (weekdays 9-10am)
• Tuesday, July 21: DIABETES 101:  What exactly causes diabetes and why does it wreak such havoc on the kidneys, eyes, heart and limbs?  Tune in for a thorough examination.
• Wednesday, July 22: Of fourteen communities surveyed nationally, Cleveland had higher than average rates of leg amputations and preventable hospitalizations.  Diabetes is believed to be the predominant cause for those dismal rates. What’s behind those numbers, and how does a premier medical community provide better prevention and treatment for diabetics?

CONNECT to wviz.org/health
• Share your own story –- Have you been touched by diabetes?
• Read the stories of diabetics who have faced the rigors of managing the disease
• Listen and view on-demand:
• Hear in-depth reports by ideastream’s Gretchen Cuda on the many facets of this disease
• View Diabetes: The Constant Shadow
• Find multiple resource links for additional research and information

Diabetes: The Constant Shadow is the second installment of ideastream’s multi-media health initiative. Heart Stories: Confronting the #1 Killer, which aired in May, shared the stories of Northeast Ohioans and their family members who have confronted heart disease. This fall, ideastream will take a look at colorectal cancer, the second leading cancer killer in the United States and yet it’s largely preventable.

Funding for Diabetes: The Constant Shadow comes from the Dr. Donald J. Goodman and Ruth Weber Goodman Philanthropic Fund of The Cleveland Foundation, and by The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, The Woodruff Foundation, The McGregor Foundation and The Community Foundation of Lorain County.