"When it comes to dealing with diabetes on Indian reservations, it's often difficult to measure progress that can be attributed to one particular program.

That's especially true when the overall incidence of the disease is high - 16 percent for Native American adults, compared with 6 percent for white adults.

The Special Diabetes Program for Native Americans is one federal program that has shown real results in improving diabetes control. It will expire in 2011 unless its funding is extended - something Congress should work to ensure.

The program, which started in 1997, has seen success in two key areas.

Blood-sugar levels in communities receiving the federal money have dropped by 11 percent. Cholesterol levels went down by 16 percent.

Reducing those numbers means that there's less of a risk of complications from diabetes such as heart attacks and amputations.

Those results deserve praise and support, and work on controlling symptoms should continue."

Get the Story:
Editorial: A federal effort worth extending (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 7/10)

Committee Notice :
OVERSIGHT HEARING on A Way Out of the Diabetes Crisis in Indian Country and Beyond (June 30, 2010)

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Series: Bad River Band suffers from very high rate of diabetes (6/25)
Senate Indian Affairs Committee meeting, hearing on June 30 (06/24)
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