[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 81 (Monday, May 23, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING OLDER AMERICANS MONTH AND DIABETES AWARENESS

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                           HON. JOYCE BEATTY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 23, 2016

  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, as our nation marks Older Americans Month 
this May, it is critically important that we raise awareness about the 
challenges that face our nation's older adults and how we can work 
together towards solutions.
  Today, older Americans are living longer than ever.
  Unfortunately, more seniors are also developing chronic illnesses.
  Among the most prevalent of these illnesses is diabetes.
  The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 11.2 million Americans 
over the age of 65 are living with diabetes.
  Diabetes is a costly medical condition/disease that can lead to heart 
disease, blindness, kidney disease, amputations, and even death.
  This is especially true in Ohio, where, according to 2013 data from 
the Ohio Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, it is estimated 
that 10.4 percent of the State has diabetes, exceeding the national 
average of 9.3 percent.
  Nationally, one out of five older Americans with diabetes have vision 
problems, and people with diabetes over age 75 are twice as likely to 
visit the emergency room for low blood sugar.
  Diabetes is especially acute for African American adults who are 80 
percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with 
this disease.
  Medicare spends one out of every three dollars on people with 
diabetes.
  We owe it to our nation's seniors to improve diabetes prevention, 
detection, and treatment.
  As a member of the Congressional Caucus on Diabetes, I am proud to 
work to advance legislation such as the Medicare Diabetes Prevention 
Act of 2015, H.R. 2102; the Minority Diabetes Initiative Act, H.R. 
4209; and the National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act, H.R. 
1192, to help curb the effects of diabetes.
  Congress must make diabetes prevention and care a priority and enact 
legislation that would improve the health and well-being of all of our 
nation's seniors.

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