Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06) toured the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC) on Wednesday, September 4, to learn more about the state of diabetes in Alabama.
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), diabetes is a serious health condition that affects many people throughout Alabama: approximately 600,000 people, or close to 15 percent of the adult population, have been diagnosed with diabetes, and nearly 30,000 people are newly diagnosed each year.
Americans with diabetes also have medical expenses that are about 2.6 times higher than those who do not have diabetes. The total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. was $413 billion, including $307 billion in direct medical costs and $106 billion in indirect costs. In Alabama alone the yearly costs are close to $6 billion.
Congressman Palmer was welcomed by Chris Brown, Ph.D., and was given an overview of the UCDC and the state of diabetes in Alabama by Anath Shalev, M.D. Brown is the vice president for research at UAB and a professor in the UAB Department of Biology. Shalev is the director of the UCDC and the Nancy R. and Eugene C. Gwaltney Family Endowed Chair in Juvenile Diabetes Research.
The UCDC is a university-wide interdisciplinary research center that was created to conduct cutting-edge research, train future clinicians and researchers, and develop novel treatment approaches. It serves as an umbrella for other research programs and awards like the prestigious P30 Diabetes Research Center (DRC), U01 Human Inlet Research Network (HIRN), grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and various research core facilities. The UCDC’s research encompasses aspects like autoimmune type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, beta cell biology, insulin resistance, diabetes risk factors, precision diabetes and much more.
The UCDC is one of the nation’s prominent contributors to innovative diabetes research, comprehensive education and training that provides breakthroughs that enhance clinical care and the lives of those affected by diabetes in its community and beyond. The UCDC’s 200 members work collaboratively together in the UCDC’s pursuit for a diabetes cure.
Congressman Palmer and his team toured the UCDC’s various lab spaces to see capital research equipment that is vital in making advancements in diabetes.
“The UCDC thanks Congressman Palmer and his entire team for spending time during their district tour to learn more about diabetes and how diabetes research is advancing here in Birmingham, AL, and beyond,” said Shalev.
