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PAHO NEWS:  Press Releases, Job Vacancies, and Other
Information from the Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO) via the Canadian Society for International Health
(CSIH) [log in to unmask]; Technical Representative in
Canada for PAHO
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Stealthy Killer:
Half of Those With Diabetes Don't Know It
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Washington, June 18, 1998-- Roughly half the people who
have diabetes don't know it, and the number of people
with diabetes is skyrocketing, affecting at least one of
every 20 persons, according to the new issue of
Perspectives in Health, the magazine of the Pan American
Health Organization (PAHO).

Diabetes, the sixth leading cause of death in the
Americas, is showing up in new and unlikely places,"
said PAHO Director Dr. George A.O. Alleyne.  "In this
age of information, awareness about this serious and
increasingly common disease is unacceptably low: more
than half the population of developed countries cannot
name a single symptom of diabetes."

"Still more disturbing is the fact that roughly one of
every two persons who have diabetes does not know it
until a serious complication sets off an alarm.  Much of
the human suffering that accompanies this disease,
however, can be alleviated by sound prevention and
control measures adopted by people and governments," Dr.
Alleyne said.

Telltale symptoms of diabetes include: sporadic tingling
or numbness in the hands or feet, frequent urination,
unusual hunger, small brown scaly patches on the skin,
and recurrent skin or vaginal infections, according to
the article , "Unmasking a Stealthy Killer."  More
severe signs of the disease, which affects 135 million
people worldwide, include blurred vision, sudden weight
loss, and unexplained weakness, fatigue or lethargy.

"Ignoring signs that suggest diabetes is risky
business," PAHO's magazine said, calling it "a really
bad actor whose cumulative damage often sets the stage
for amputations, blindness, kidney failure, heart
disease, stroke, and death."  They key to minimizing the
harm from diabetes is early diagnosis and sound
treatment.

Diabetes arises from lack of insulin, which creates
excess sugar in the blood, damages blood vessels and can
lead to blindness, stroke or other diseases.  The most
common type develops after age 40, "mostly in overweight
sedentary people whose tissues no longer respond well to
insulin." People can manage this type of diabetes by
following professional guidance on weight loss, diet and
exercise.

PAHO, which works to improve health in all the countries
of the Americas, has responded to the diabetes problem
by helping develop education and prevention strategies
and programs.  A hemispheric plan of action contained in
the Declaration of the Americas on Diabetes urges the
countries to improve and strengthen their approach to
the diabetes challenge, and recognizes the disease as a
priority regional public health concern.

For more information please contact:  Office of Public
Information, PAHO (202) 974-3459; Fax (202) 974-3143, e-
mail:  [log in to unmask]; 525 Twenty-Third Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037, USA - http:\\www.paho.org

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This document is available, with full formatting and
accents, at http://www.csih.org/paho_ndx.html