We need a diabetes research center in Grand Rapids

Talk about your growth industries. According to a report put out recently by the Centers for Disease Control, it’s predicted that the number of adults suffering from diabetes could rise from 1 in 10 today to 1 in 3 by 2050. 80 Million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and another 60 Million are “pre-diabetic”, or on the road to diabetes. And worldwide the number could grow from 285 Million today to 438 Million by 2030. In 2010, diabetes was estimated to cost the U.S. $174 Billion, $116 Billion just in direct medical costs, and is expected to double in the next few years. No other disease on the planet is growing as fast as diabetes and claiming as many lives from complications.

Enough big numbers for you? How about this last disturbing one: 88,000 amputations are performed every year due to the effects of diabetes on the body’s limbs and extremities.

What’s the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes? Though both are very similar in how they affect people, Type 1, also known as Juvenile Diabetes, is hereditary, NOT caused by external factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise, and diagnosed primarily at a very early age. A person with Type 1 is essentially unable to produce insulin him or herself, an important chemical produced in the pancreas to help the body process and regulate sugar levels. Without insulin, the human body cannot handle unprocessed sugars and the person will quickly fall into coma and eventually die. Thus, all insulin must be administered manually and continually 24 hours a day.

Type 2 is generally caused by a number of factors, including poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and some hereditary factors. Traditionally it had been mainly diagnosed in adults over 40, giving it the term “adult-onset” diabetes. But today, for the first time in our history, more and more children are developing Type 2 diabetes. Though it doesn’t normally require insulin therapy as intensive as Type 1, it affects far more people in this country and is the fastest growing segment of diabetes.

Complications from a lifetime of diabetes include cataracts, nerve damage, coronary disease, limb amputations, heart disease, strokes and shortened life spans of about 15 years.

Hard to believe that such a ravaging disease has not been cured yet, isn’t it? And it’s getting worse. Work is being done in many parts of the world to find a cure, particularly focusing on an artificial pancreas and pancreas stem cell research for children with Type 1 diabetes. Other extensive research is being put into making lives easier for those who suffer from diabetes, including better management tools and less intrusive monitoring (diabetics require multiple shots and blood checks daily). But more could be done to help find a cure for this disease.

That’s where Grand Rapids comes in.

A cursory search turns up only a handful of major diabetes research facilities in the U.S., far fewer than the number of cancer research centers. With Grand Rapids establishing a major beachhead in the realm of medical research and biotechnology with the Van Andel Institute and its partners on Medical Mile, it seems that now might be the opportune time to carve out a niche in diabetes research; particularly with the estimates that the costs of diabetes to the U.S. economy may double in the next few years. In addition, the possibilities for translational science could be tremendous (turning research into viable business opportunities).

Why not capitalize on the momentum being generated on the Hill, and give us one more reason to celebrate the advancements happening right here that could change the entire world for the better? How do we make this happen?