LOS ANGELES, CA (March 2, 2009) – The National Center for Public Research announced today its plans to bring 100,000 FDA approved at-home Diabetes Risk Assessment tests to California school children. Healthy Life Laboratories has committed up to $1,000,000 in laboratory testing and reporting services. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are over 60 million Americans at risk of developing diabetes.  Early detection is the key to saving lives.

The Americans Against Diabetes™ Campaign, along with the support of individual and corporate sponsorships, will provide diabetes screening tests to at-risk children and education to their parents. Through awareness and education, informed parents can make healthy choices to reduce their child’s risk of developing diabetes, giving children the healthy future they deserve.

Distribution is planned through local California fire stations, blood banks, school systems, diabetes educators, local dental offices, drug store clinics and other healthcare and civic organizations. With synergistic goals and commitment to healthcare and awareness, The Americans Against Diabetes™ campaign will reach high-risk populations of school age children to provide testing and help educate families about diabetes prevention. The National Center for Public Research will be providing the distribution and financial management of the campaign.

Americans Against Diabetes™ has sought strategic partners to turn this vision into a mission.  “By placing the best diagnostic medical technology in the hands of the dedicated health care professionals who can provide diabetes screening and education, we are confident that this program will succeed,” said Dr. Ron Schefdore, founder of Americans Against Diabetes™.    

The Diabetes Risk Assessment Kit is the only FDA approved at-home test combining an accurate and reliable instant glucose test plus a laboratory-based hemoglobin A1c test using a single drop of finger-nick blood.  Combining both fasting and long-term glucose measurement into a single screen increases the likelihood of detecting impaired glucose control, which is the precursor to diabetes.

Diabetes is a debilitating, crippling, and life-shortening disease whose most serious complications can be prevented with early detection. Millions of people remain unknowingly undiagnosed and at risk for the disease. Each year more than 15,000 children are diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S., that's 40 children per day. “Obese teenagers are as likely to die young as teens who smoke.  While legislation and taxes on cigarettes work to reduce the numbers of children who smoke, reducing the numbers of children with obesity is a task that requires a collaborative effort on the parts of our community leaders, medical professionals, educators, and parents,” explains Dr. Schefdore.

Obesity is the number one preventable risk factor for diabetes. The percent of overweight California children has surpassed 35% in some regions. If pre-diabetes is detected early, action may be taken to reverse or prevent the onset of diabetes. By providing quality diabetes testing services to at risk children, the American’s Against Diabetes™ Campaign will increase awareness of diabetes and its risks. Through knowledge and understanding, diabetes can be prevented or controlled.

“Despite decades of medical advances for the treatment of diabetes, millions of Americans remain undiagnosed or at risk for the disease, and many are children.  We are confident that families with children who are identified as being in a pre-diabetic state will work with their physicians, school nurses and diabetes educators to implement dietary and healthy lifestyle changes to avoid the onset of diabetes and its catastrophic complications, such as heart disease, blindness and kidney failure,” said Jack Maggiore, Ph.D., president of Healthy Life Laboratories.

Facts about Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that is needed to exchange sugar, starches and other food into energy which is needed for daily living. The cause of diabetes may be related to genetics, diet, or unknown reasons. According to the American Diabetes Association over 24 million children and adults have diabetes, and more than 6 million of these individuals have the disease and have not been diagnosed.  Even more staggering are the numbers of pre-diabetics, which are estimated to surpass 60 million individuals.

Pre-diabetes is a state of glucose intolerance, in which the body is not able to maintain controlled levels of blood sugar.  Pre-diabetes often occurs prior to diabetes, and in many cases is reversible with a commitment to exercise, dietary changes and weight loss.  With obesity at epidemic proportions and exceeding 35% in many communities, more than 60 million people are predisposed to diabetes and may be unknowingly in a pre-diabetic state.

Type 1 diabetes is called juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes.  It usually is diagnosed in children and adolescence but may be discovered in adulthood. Its cause is thought to be either genetic or due to autoimmune mechanism, where the body destroys its own insulin producing cells in the pancreas.  Type 1 diabetics are usually treated with both diet and insulin.

Type 2 diabetes is also called adult onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes. While type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed in adulthood, its occurrence has become more common in childhood and adolescence. Its cause is thought to be primarily related to diet and a sedentary lifestyle, as obesity predisposes individuals to type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes affects more than 24 million Americans and is the most common form of the disease.  However, because diabetes exhibits few if any symptoms until its advanced stages, millions more are in danger of developing the disease and are unaware of its risks.  When blood glucose (sugar) levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be classified as diabetes, a condition known as pre-diabetes exists.  If discovered early, a person with pre-diabetes can avoid the disease through education, diet, and exercise. By using this quick, convenient and affordable test, those who are identified as being in a diabetic or pre-diabetic state can work with their physicians to implement treatment or dietary and healthy lifestyle changes to avoid the onset of diabetic complications like heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure.

About The Diabetes Risk Assessment Test

The Diabetes Risk Assessment combines two FDA-approved technologies in a ready-to-use kit that contains an instant test and a send-in laboratory confirmation.  Test 1 is an immediate glucose reading.   Test 2 is a mail-in laboratory analysis for hemoglobin A1c, which is a blood glucose marker for the previous ninety-day period.  The samples for both tests use a simple finger-nick collection kit which can be self-collected at home or taken with the help of a medical professional.  The sample for the hemoglobin A1c is mailed to Healthy Life Laboratories. The Diabetes Risk Assessment is a common-sense approach to early detection of a potentially dangerous condition.

Healthy Life Laboratories, Inc.
Located in Bannockburn, Illinois, Healthy Life Laboratories, Inc. develops, manufactures, and processes health monitoring and screening products for the consumer, dental, physician, health screening, occupational health, pharmaceutical, disease-management, and medical research markets.

National Center for Public Research
The National Center for Public Research is a 501c3 nonprofit entity dedicated to providing meaningful and unbiased data and information to improve quality of life, quality of health, and financial wellbeing for all people and communities.  For more information, visit: www.NationalCenterforPublicResearch.org, www.NCforPR.org, or www.marigallagher.com.


Media Contact:
Lindsey Rowe, AAD Campaign Manager
805-815-7693 / This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Chris Warner, AAD Program Manager
818-415-3015 / This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it