Today is the 23rd annual American Diabetes Association’s Alert Day – which marks not only the Association’s one-day “wake up” call, but also the official start of the “Join the Million Challenge.”

The “Join the Million Challenge” is a four-week challenge – which ends on April 22 -  the challenge aims to rally one million people to help Stop Diabetes® by taking the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes and inspiring their friends, family members and colleagues to do the same.  It builds on the success of 2010, the year in which we surpassed our goal of inspiring one million Americans to be part of the American Diabetes Association’s Stop Diabetes movement.

The Diabetes Risk Test asks users to answer simple questions about weight, age, family history and other potential risks for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Risk Test shows users whether they are at low, moderate or high risk for type 2 diabetes. If an individual is at high risk, he or she is encouraged to talk with their health care provider.

Take the test today!

Jessica Hein, member of VSP's Eye Health Management Team

New diabetes numbers were released this week in the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Fact Sheet is a collaborative effort of the CDC, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Diabetes Association, and 11 other agencies and organizations.

Some of the noteworthy facts and figures include:

• 25.8 million Americans have diabetes (18.8 million diagnosed, 7.0 million undiagnosed)
• 1.9 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year
• 215,000 Americans under 20 years of age have diagnosed diabetes
• 79 million Americans have pre-diabetes
• 18% of pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes
• Approximately 5% of Americans with diagnosed diabetes have type 1 diabetes (~940,000)
• Detecting and treating diabetic eye disease with laser therapy can reduce the development of severe vision loss by an estimated 50% to 60%.
• Appropriate eyeglasses can help about 65% of adults with diabetes and poor vision.

VSP is helping fight this epidemic by helping to get people with diabetes the care they need to maintain their sight and quality of life. VSP also launched the Eye on Diabetes Campaign to help promote the connection between eye exams and diabetes. Find out more about diabetes and eye health at VSP’s Diabetes Discovery Center:

The Rwanda Campaign

Our professional cyclist friends at Team Type 1 recently participated and finished a nine-day Tour of Rwanda. This race was special in that they had a greater mission than just racing. They brought 35,000 test strips and 350-plus glucose monitors to help children in Rwanda diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, donated by sponsors Sanofi Aventis, Abbott Diabetes and of course VSP Vision Care. During their trip, the team also met with the health ministry and set out a plan to assist the Rwanda Diabetes Association for the next three years.

As for the race, the team finished together in Kigali after 1117 kilometers on the road and more than 13,000 meters of climbing.

Congratulations to Team Type 1 for completing the race and a special thank you for helping the diabetes community here in the U.S. and all over the world.

About Team Type 1 and VSP Vision Care
Team Type 1 is a group of athletes living with diabetes. The team includes professional race teams, a triathlon team and a development team. Team Type 1 strives to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes. VSP® Vision Care is proud to be their exclusive eyecare and eyewear provider.

Blue is the color of World Diabetes Day, reflecting the sky that unites all nations. Here is a photo of VSP's building lit blue (2009)

Celebrated every year on November 14, today is World Diabetes Day. Because diabetes continues to be a growing, global concern, the International Diabetes Federation created World Diabetes Day to draw attention to this disease. And today, millions of people from all corners of the world will engage in diabetes advocacy and awareness.

TuDiabetes is recognizing today with their event called The Big Blue Test. Today, at 14:00 (local time), they are asking everyone with diabetes to test their blood sugar, do 14 minutes of exercise, test again and share their results online. Check out this video for more information on The Big Blue Test.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our headquarters is located in Sacramento, CA and our community is recognizing this day by lighting up the State Capitol in blue. Find out how you can participate in this year’s World Diabetes Day by looking up an event in your neighborhood.

According to a recent study published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), they project diabetes numbers to triple to about one in 3 U.S. adults by 2050. Currently, roughly 24 million Americans have diabetes, and one-quarter of them don’t know they have the disease. The study goes on to say diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in 2007 and is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults under age 75.

Did you know eye exams are the only non-invasive way to view blood vessels to check for signs of diabetes? By looking at these blood vessels, the eye doctor can detect signs of diabetes, hypertension and several other chronic conditions. Eye doctors are in a unique position to change the current trajectory of diabetes in our country based on ease of accessibility, the ability to detect chronic conditions during an eye exam, and the opportunity to influence patients to make behavioral changes to protect their eyesight. VSP Vision Care is encouraging everyone to visit their eye doctor annually to maintain healthy vision and overall wellness. Find a VSP Provider near you to schedule your next appointment. More on the new CDC study. 

Here’s a short video about why I want to help Stop Diabetes. Submit your 30-second video for a chance to win a prize as well as be part of the American Diabetes Association‘s Stop Diabetes public service announcement.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What do you think? Did you know an eye exam could show so much? Curious to hear the thoughts of Manny Hernandez, David Mendosa, and Amy Tendrich! 

Editor’s Note:
Dr. Roger Phelps is a VSP Vision Care eye doctor practicing in Ojai, Calif. He’s a Certified Diabetes Educator and also has type 1 diabetes. Dr. Phelps is passionate about educating others about this disease and the importance of eye exams. For more information about his practice, Ojai Eyes Optometry, visit his website.

Laura Ely, Team Type 1, Triathlon Team

Guest Blogger – Laura Ely competes as a member of Team Type 1′s Triathlon Team. She works as a Clinical Research Coordinator and Marketing Coordinator for the University of North Carolina Diabetes Care Center Clinical Trial Program and is also a communication coordinator for DiabetesSisters, an online diabetes community for women. Laura was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of four.

I have a very vague memory of my initial diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes.  I was four years old at the time.  After showing the telltale signs of diabetes, weight loss and constant thirst, I was told by my mother that I would need to go to the hospital that night.  I have a horrific memory of my four-year-old self, sobbing as doctors in a small room surrounded me.  They tried to settle me down, gave me IV fluids and placed me in a room to try to get a good night’s rest.  However, as soon as I arrived at that room, I looked down at my hand with the IV needle and saw blood seeping through the bandage and tape.  More crying and horrific thoughts ensured and thus began my life with diabetes.

The next year was my first year in kindergarten. My mother came to school each day at lunch to check my blood sugar to make sure that it was at an acceptable number.  As a pretty modest child, I did not like the extra attention.  I refused to talk about my disease and refused to tell any of my friends that I had diabetes.  I was convinced that if anyone else found out I would be a social outcast. 

The years progressed and I continued to keep my diabetes a secret.  At times I did not want to eat snacks during the day to avoid the stares from the other kids wondering why I could eat and they could not.  I got low blood sugars during class and instead of treating them by eating a snack I would will my blood sugars to go up on their own.  Obviously, that did not work and I’d finally give in when I’d be shaking so hard it was difficult to write, sweat dripping down my back.

My family tried to help me as best as they could.  My mother, who quite conveniently is a registered dietitian, helped me learn how to figure out what I was eating in order to make healthy choices.  But with all the help and support I still felt alone and isolated living with diabetes.  My mother and endocrinologist saw that I continued to have a rough time and told me about a summer camp for kids with diabetes.  I was hesitant at first – a whole week away from home without my parents.  I did not know these kids or counselors.  Why would I want to spend a week with people who all had the same disease that I despised?  Well, to my many objections I was sent to camp in 1995 – the summer that would change my life with diabetes forever.

Contrary to my initial belief, being surrounded by other kids and counselors who also had diabetes, with whom I could share her feelings, made an amazing difference in my life.  Instead of feeling alone and isolated with the disease, I finally owned it.  I found comfort in the fact that others had high and low numbers – their hands shook when they had low blood sugars and they had headaches and were tired with high blood sugars.  I did not have to explain to anyone what it was like to have diabetes, because everyone had it.  Instead we were able to spend time talking and sharing our experiences with diabetes and learn from one another. They all knew what it was like to live with this awful disease and I no longer felt like I was fighting on my own.  I learned what it meant to have a “positive mental attitude” or PMA.

I came home that week as a whole person.  I vowed to check my blood sugars myself, learn more about giving my injections and become responsible for my life with diabetes.  I began to talk about diabetes to my friends and relay the great experiences that I had at camp.  My friends listened with open ears and asked me if they could come to camp with me next summer.  I grinningly told them no, you could only come to camp if you had diabetes (making diabetes seem kind of cool!)

I took that attitude with me for the rest of my life. Growing up I was the go-to girl for other kids who were diagnosed with diabetes to help ease them into life with this disease.  I stayed active with camp, attending it as a camper until I was 16 and coming back as a counselor when I was 18.  I wanted to share my experience as that shy, unsure 10-year-old girl who came to camp and got her life back.

My passion for diabetes continued to grow through and after college.  It was then that I became a part of a cause that is SO NEEDED and very near and dear to my heart.

About Team Type 1 and VSP Vision Care
Team Type 1 is a group of athletes living with diabetes. The team includes professional race teams, a triathlon team and a development team. Team Type 1 strives to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes. VSP Vision Care is proud to be their exclusive eyecare and eyewear provider.

The process by which 23andMe genotypes DNA uses the latest in DNA technology. Once the lab receives a sample of a person’s saliva, DNA is extracted, cut into smaller, more manageable pieces and applied to a DNA “chip.” The DNA chip is a small glass slide with millions of microscopic beads on its surface. Attached to each bead are “probes”—bits of DNA complementary to sites in a person’s genome where their single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, are located. SNPs act as biological markers and allow scientists to locate genes associated with disease.

Shawn Milne of Team Type 1’s Professional Men’s Team takes part in the 23andMe research study.

The last time a study like this was conducted was in 2009 when over 100 players from the NFL were recruited for a study to understand how genes impact athletic performance. It was the largest genetic examination ever conducted on professional American athletes.

“Team Type 1 is excited to join forces with 23andMe to research and understand the role genes and our environment impact diabetes,” said Team Type 1 Founder and CEO, Phil Southerland. “It’s partnerships like these that help Team Type 1 take its mission to the next level to create change in people’s lives.”

Results of Team Type 1’s genetic analysis with 23andMe will be available in the coming months.

About Team Type 1 and VSP Vision Care
Team Type 1 is a group of athletes living with diabetes. The team includes professional race teams, a triathlon team and a development team. Team Type 1 strives to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes. VSP® Vision Care is proud to be their exclusive eyecare and eyewear provider.

About 23andMe
23andMe, Inc. is a leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping individuals understand their own genetic information through DNA analysis technologies and web-based interactive tools. The company’s Personal Genome Service™ enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their ancestry and inherited traits. 23andMe, Inc., was founded in 2006, and the company is advised by a group of renowned experts in the fields of human genetics, bioinformatics and computer science. Its Series A investors include Genentech, Inc., Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and New Enterprise Associates. More information is available at www.23andme.com.

Guests had the opportunity to ask questions about diabetes, cycling and receive autographs and pictures with the local star during his last appearance stateside as he prepared to move to Paris, France, where he will be racing for the 2010 season.

Kyle interacted with the kids…”you get to ride bikes for a job??” “Do you ride bikes with Lance Armstrong?” “I have a purple bike…but it’s broke.” “I bet you need really good eyes to see where you are going.” “Have you crashed before?” (OK, this last question was actually me. And yes, he just finished healing from a gnarly crash where he was clipped by another rider, flipped over his handlebars into a ditch and broke multiple ribs!)

An amazing story was a woman who asked Kyle if he was wearing an insulin pump on the back of his arm. He said yes and proceeded to tell her the story of Team Type 1. She then proceeded to tell us about her husband, who also has Type 1 diabetes, and how cycling has saved his life by getting and keeping him active. It gave me goose bumps! Kyle provided her with information about Team Type 1 and encouraged her to have her husband reach out to the team.

We were all so grateful to have Kyle take time out of his busy day to join us for a few hours (he literally was packing up the last of his things to get shipped across the Atlantic just 72 hours after the event!).

Be sure to stay tuned as we post a series of videos featuring Kyle as he shares with us how an eye exam led to the early detection of his diabetes and how he continues to use annual eye exams to help manage and monitor his diabetes. And be sure to follow him while he’s in France on twitter and Facebook!

Liz B. is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month and as a National Strategic Partner of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), VSP is committed to joining to the fight to STOP DIABETES.

Studies show that diabetes accounts for about 24,000 new cases of vision loss each year.  The most prevalent eye disease in patients with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, a condition in which blood vessels in the eye leak fluid and cause vision impairments including: blindness, blurred vision, floaters, shadows or missing areas of vision.

It is imperative that people with diabetes have annual eye exams as most diabetes-related blindness can be avoided.

Throughout the month of November, you’ll see multiple posts on the VSPBlog educating about the impacts of diabetes to millions of Americans affected by the disease.

Let’s start with the basics on why we must stop diabetes:

• Nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States live with diabetes. In fact, if trends continue, one in three children born today will face a future with diabetes.
• Type 1 Diabetes – For people with type 1 diabetes, their bodies cannot make insulin, the hormone that allows the cells in the body to admit glucose, which they use as fuel.  Without glucose, your body doesn’t have enough energy to live. That’s why people with type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin (through a shot or pump) to stay alive.
• Type 2 Diabetes – People with type 2 diabetes can make insulin, but the body fails to use it properly. About 90-95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. Typically type 2 of diabetes affects adults, but as obesity rates have increased in kids, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise in kids and teens.

Join the movement and STOP DIABETES.  Find out how you can help at stopdiabetes.com or call 1.800.DIABETES.