Biggest Stories of 2009

What were the biggest d-stories of 2009? Here's a list:

d-Politics
Sotomayor Nomination
Her opponents called her a liberal activist, but there were other issues too. After a few missteps from the media and some callous investigations from the Justice Department and the Senate over her ability to perform with Type 1 diabetes, everyone sighed with relief when the 111th U.S Supreme Court Justice was sworn in on August 8, 2009. Sotomayor's accomplishments have nothing to do with her Type 1 Diabetes say some d-advocates, but those of us who have suffered with the disease since childhood know better! Her professional achievements are not dimished in acknowledging 40+ years of living with diabetes.

d-Health
Treatment Guidelines
The ADA, and a handful of other medical watchdog organizations published treatment guidelines that recommended aggressive blood sugar control for ALL types of diabetes. Although there were some who were against the position statement, the ADA in particular believed that doctors would still have plenty of discretion about how to treat their patients, with one director stating rather pointedly, {we} can no longer sit silently thinking that our discipline is unified toward improving diabetes care,” so the medical advocacy groups and quality assurance folks went ahead. That was in 2006. This year, the New England Journal of Medicine, found in the NICE-SUGAR study, that for every 38 patients in ICU aggressively treated for high blood sugar, one would die. Another published study found similar results for patients with diabetes and heart disease. The orginal position statement for AGGRESSIVE blood sugar control for all was retracted. The upshot? Much confusion for patients everywhere. Look at the logic and believe it, unless you have a very serious heart condition or are in the ICU, agressive blood sugar control is key.

Swine Flu and diabetes
The children, the aged, the chronically ill. We were all told to get THE shot. Well when it became officially flu season, and as soon as the H1N1 vaccine became available which it did in November. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the NHS and other state National Healthcare Systems (and where I live -- Hong Kong) recommended people with diabetes get vaccinated. Did you?

d-entertainment
The good! The year of the d-Advocate
2009 may have been the best year yet for d celebrities taking a stand and speaking out. Nick Jonas spoke before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to appeal for the renewal of federal funding for diabetes research. A gaggle of swooning girls waited on the steps of Capitol Hill for Jonas which bought more attention to the issue than ever before!
Lance Armstrong switched gears and is now supporting diabetes through his website and other platforms stating, "Much like with cancer survivors or those who have HIV, people with diabetes have been dealt this hand, a health challenge."
He has a special section on his website for people with diabetes called "Myplate D."
Chicago Bears quarterback, Jay Cutler was diagnosed at the age of 25 in 2008 and has been working with Eli Lilly in speaking candidly about the disease and his career. (His video stream is here.) For every touchdown Cutler makes this year, he will donate a scholarship for a child to attend a diabetes camp this summer. Thanks Jay!

The Bad, the Ugly
One Wisconsin couple was charged with reckless homicide after they chose to pray for their 11-year-old daughter's recovery from diabetes rather than take her to the hospital.
Time magazine's coverage of diabetes appeared to utilize wiki as a source for defining diabetes "Sotomayor's Diabetes: Will It Be a Handicap?"
Brittany Murphy's untimely death and media speculation that the cause of death was T2 diabetes. An autopsy will soon determine the cause....

d-LAND
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) released the fourth edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas at the 20th World Diabetes Congress in October 2009 in Montreal. Currently, population stats for diabetes worldwide is now forecasted to be 285 million this year. If d-Land was a country it would now be NUMBER 4 behind China, India and the USA.

Next up - 2009 Industry and Research News.