D-ATLAS to map the prevalence and costs associated with type 2 diabetes launched

Dec 1 2009

November is American Diabetes Month(R)

Pinpointing the prevalence and cost of type 2 diabetes and now, the prevalence of obesity (Body Mass Index [BMI] of 30 or greater), is just a mouse click away thanks to a Web-based tool developed by the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF).

The D-ATLAS (Diabetes Atlas), which maps the prevalence and costs associated with type 2 diabetes, launched a new data set today - prevalence of obesity (BMI of 30 or greater).

The D-ATLAS was created by the collaboration among NMQF, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Lilly USA, LLC and is a unique online resource that provides on-demand mapping of data sets by ethnicity, age, and gender. The program now provides obesity prevalence, as well as prevalence and cost data for type 2 diabetes. Policymakers and healthcare advocates are able to see first-hand the impact of data on a nationwide, individual state, or legislative district level. The tool can assist in targeting specific health programs, developing policy and/or funding to address diabetes, which currently affects nearly 24 million people in the United States.

"With the D-ATLAS, policymakers and advocates have the ability to easily depict diabetes and obesity health disparities among their constituents," said Gary Puckrein, Ph.D., creator of the D-ATLAS and NMQF President and CEO. "This unique online tool is a compelling resource that can be disseminated to support educational, advocacy, and public affairs initiatives."

With November being American Diabetes Month(R), it is the perfect time to highlight available tools for raising awareness about diabetes and its contributing factors. Obesity is one of the major factors leading to insulin resistance, a condition that directly increases the development of diabetes. Studies have shown increased relative risk of developing type 2 diabetes with increases in BMI (from levels as low as 22).

Disparities exist in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes in African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have estimated total (diagnosed and undiagnosed) diabetes prevalence among adults in the United States as follows:

• 10.7% (23.5 million) of all adults in 2007
• 9.8% (14.9 million) of non-Hispanic whites in 2007
• 14.7% (3.7 million) of non-Hispanic blacks in 2007
• 13.7% of Hispanics in 2005

Obesity rates also vary by race/ethnicity, gender, and age. For example, for women aged 20 years and older between 2003 and 2006, age-adjusted obesity prevalence varied as follows:

• 54.3% of non-Hispanic black women
• 41.8% of women of Mexican origin
• 31.6% of non-Hispanic white women

"There is no cure for diabetes, but it can be managed and possibly prevented," Puckrein said. "Policymakers could help lower the devastating impact of diabetes by using these maps in resourcing decisions that affect their constituents."

D-ATLAS maps are available through a password-protected link from the NMQF web site (www.nmqf.org). Licenses to access the D-ATLAS are obtained through the NMQF and are available to healthcare advocacy groups, lawmakers and members of the executive and judicial branches.

SOURCE National Minority Quality Forum