Minnesota Lions Diabetes Foundation, Inc.

The prevalence of diabetes is growing at an epidemic rate. More than 34 million Americans have diabetes, and 1 in 5 don’t know they are diabetic. More than 14 million Americans age 65 and older are diabetic (26 % of people age 65 plus). In Minnesota:

 -  Nearly 1.4 million Minnesota adults are pre-diabetic (nearly 34% of Minnesota adults).

-  More than 358,000 Minnesota adults live with diabetes (8.4 % of Minnesota adults).

-  More than 23,000 Minnesotans are newly diagnosed with diabetes every year.

-  An additional 118,000 Minnesotans have diabetes and do not know they are diabetic.

-  People with diabetes or pre-diabetes are at high risk for serious health complications

     including heart disease, stroke, amputation, end-state kidney disease, blindness and death.

-  More than $4.7 billion related to diabetes is paid every year in Minnesota for direct medical

   and indirect (reduced productivity) costs.

 Minnesota Lions Diabetes Foundation was founded in 2008 by members of Lions Clubs of Minnesota who are strongly committed to improving the lives of people through caring and valued community service, including raising funds devoted to research to improve lives of people living with diabetes and to help prevent and cure diabetes.  The Dream Cather was chosen as a sign of Hope for a cure to diabetes. 

https://www.mnlionsdiabetes.org/

The Diabetes Foundation has funded Lions Islet Imaging Lab at the University of Minnesota, as well as other projects, including research to identify medicine to target adipose (loose connective tissue) to treat Type 2 Diabetes; develop a breath screening device for early detection of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious diabetic complication of prolonged high blood glucose; Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of human islet transplantation; and cure diabetes by regulating the immune system.

There are three main types of diabetes, Type 1 (can develop at any age, but most common in children and adolescents), Type 2 (most common in adults and accounts for about 90 % of all diabetes cases) and gestational (usually disappears after pregnancy, but affected women and their children and develop Type 2 diabetes later in life).

Please join Minnesota Lions Diabetes Foundation in its mission to have a world without diabetes by making a financial contribution.