The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced a new strategic plan aimed at guding diabetes-related research during the coming decade. According to statistics, there is more than enough demonstrated need.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 10 adults in the United States currently has diabetes. Approximately 1.9 million Americans age 20 years or older were diagnosed with diabetes in 2010. That's in addition about 79 million Americans aged 20 years and older are considered pre-diabetic. An individual in a pre-diabetic state has blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not quite high enough to be diagnosed as diabetic (i.e. 118 mg/dL vs. 126 mg/dL). The CDC estimates that by 2050 as many as 1 in 3 adults could be diagnosed with diabetes if present trends continue.

The new strategic plan was developed by a federal work group led by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) with the aim of identifying research opportunities with the most potential to benefit the millions of Americans currently living with or at risk for diabetes and its numerous complications. NIDDK Director Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D. stated that by “setting priorities and identifying the most compelling research opportunities, the strategic plan will guide NIH, other federal agencies and the investigative community in efforts to improve diabetes treatments and identify ways to keep more people healthy.” The new NIH strategy addresses type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder (immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues in the body) which commonly develops during childhood. It affects approximately 5% of individuals with diagnosed diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with being overweight or a state of obesity; accounting for 90%-95% of diagnosed diabetes cases in the United States.

Gestational diabetes is a condition that some women develop during pregnancy that generally goes away after childbirth, but consequently increases the risk of the woman and child of the pregnancy for developing "full-blown" type 2 diabetes later on in life.

The plan focuses on 10 areas of diabetes research, which the agency said it believes hold the greatest potential for discovery "on multiple fronts." Some of these areas include:

• Exploring the relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes, and the correlation between both conditions and genetics and environment
• Understanding the autoimmune mechanisms at work in type 1 diabetes
• Further understanding of the biology of beta cells in the pancreas
• The development of artificial pancreas technologies to improve blood sugar management
• Exploring preventative measures related to complications of diabetes
• Exploring how to reduce the impact of diabetes on groups disproportionately affected by the disease such as the elderly and racial and ethnic minorities

Fortunately, some lifestyle changes as a means of  controlling diabetes are well established: Physical activity and exercise have been shown to be beneficial for people with diabetes as a means of controlling weight and lowering blood sugar level. It has the added benefit of limiting the risk of heart developing heart disease, a condition common in people with diabetes.

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