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Diabetes affects nearly
6% of the total US population. It is the
seventh leading cause of death and fourth
leading cause of death in African American
women. It is the leading cause of blindness
in 20- 74 year olds. There are approximately
800,000 new diagnosed cases every
year. |
| In
Georgia 200,000 are diagnosed each
year. Diabetics are at a higher risk
to develop heart disease or stroke
than non-diabetics. Type 2 diabetes,
(also known as adult onset diabetes),
accounts for 90-95% of all diabetes
in this country, with a significant
increase in the number of children
developing type 2. In Georgia, deaths
from diabetes disproportionately affects
African Americans at a rate double
that of white Georgians. |
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| The
objective of the Diabetes core is to
understand the causes of increased
diabetes complication rates among high-disparity
populations and to test interventions
to improve glycemic control and reduce
the incidence of preventable complications
attributable to diabetes in low-income
or uninsured persons, especially among
African American men and women. |
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Dr. James Gavin,
president of MSM, is the team leader.
He is the former president of the American
Diabetes Association. His work ranges
from basic physiology, to clinical
practice, to
patient education, to diabetes-specific
health disparities. |
| Under
his leadership several
projects have been implemented. Those
projects include: Medicaid Managed
Care Quality and Costs Among Black
and White Adults with Diabetes Mellitus-the
purpose of that specific project is
to examine the quality and cost of
care among African Americans and Caucasian
American adults with diabetes mellitus
who are enrolled in the mandatory primary
care case management program, Georgia
Better Health Care, a managed care
delivery model; HRSA Health Disparities
Collaborative on Diabetes and Rapid-Cycle
JgbA1C Testing to Facilitate Intensification
of Therapy and Improve Glycemic Control,
a project that looks at diabetes
care in community health centers. |
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