美国糖尿病协会（以下称美糖协）盛赞参议员Frank Lautenberg和参议员Johnny Isakson，赞扬他们为2008年度糖尿病预防和护理立法案所做出的贡献。此次立法案有利于督促美国国会进一步加大力度完善美少数民族的糖尿病护理、预防、治疗以及教育状况。2007年度糖尿病预防和护理的立法案是由美国白宫众议员Diana DeGette与Mike Castle提出的。2个立法案都是意在寻求改善美国少数民族的糖尿病护理、预防、治疗与教育状况，致力于解决这些少数名族中与糖尿病斗争的人们所遇到的挑战与问题。
　　根据美国疾病控制与预防中心的调查数据报道，美国的少数民族（包括西班牙裔、非洲裔、亚洲裔、太平洋岛裔、亚裔、印度裔、阿拉斯加土著民等）患糖尿病和糖尿病并发症病发率很高。另外，他们的子嗣中每3个就会有1个在生命阶段中会有糖尿病发生。并且这种发病态势在美国少数民族中日益明显。

　　“糖尿病已经成为21世纪人民最大的健康危害，而在少数民族中这种疾病的足迹似乎更加明显，”美国糖尿病协会主席乔治.安德森说，“参议员Lautenberg与参议员Isakson所提出的立法案，提升了受服务水平相对较低的少数民族对糖尿病与该病预防的意识程度。”

　　如果立法提案制定成为法律，这项议案将呼吁疾病控制与预防中心、国家健康研究所，印度健康服务所等机构合力阻断美国少数民族现在的病况。

　　今天，在美国有将近21，000，000的儿童和成人（7%人口）患有糖尿病，其中有近乎1/3的人还没有意识到自己患有此病。每一天，将近会有4,100人被诊断为糖尿病。在美国，糖尿病是第5大疾病杀手。从1987年开始，在心脏病、中风、癌症等疾病的致死率均呈下降趋势的同时，与糖尿病有关的死亡率却一路飙升45%。

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) applauds Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Senator Johnny Isakson, (R-GA) for introducing the Diabetes Prevention Access and Care Act of 2008 (DPAC) today. This legislation urges Congress to support improvements in diabetes care, prevention, treatment and education for minority populations. The Diabetes Prevention Access and Care Act of 2007, is the companion bill in the House of Representatives, which was introduced by Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Representative Mike Castle (R-DE). Both versions seek to improve care, prevention, treatment, and education about diabetes within minority communities, and to address the unique challenges faced by these populations in fighting diabetes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), minorities-Hispanics, African Americans, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, and American Indians and Alaskan Natives-suffer from the highest incidence of diabetes and its complications. Additionally, one in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime, and the epidemic is growing even more rapidly in minority populations.

"Diabetes has emerged as the greatest public health crisis of the 21st century, and among minority communities the footprint of this disease is even greater," said John Anderson, MD, Chair of the National Advocacy Committee, ADA. "With legislation like DPAC, Senator Lautenberg and Senator Isakson, raise the level of awareness about diabetes and the level of care in underserved communities."

If enacted, this legislation would call for a coordinated effort from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and, the Indian Health Service (IHS) to curb present trends in minority communities.

Today, nearly 21 million children and adults in the United States - or 7 percent of the population - have diabetes. Approximately one third of those are not aware that they have the disease. Each day, approximately 4,110 people are diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States. Since 1987, the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45 percent, while the death rates due to heart disease, stroke, and cancer have declined.