Diabetes-related preventive-care practices--Guam, 2001-2003

Persons with diabetes are at risk for serious complications, such as blindness, kidney failure, nontraumatic lower-extremity amputations, and cardiovascular disease. Preventive-care practices have been determined effective in reducing both the incidence and progression of diabetes-specific complications. Despite the benefits of these practices, their level of use has been lower than recommended in the United States. To emphasize the importance of preventive-care practices, national health objectives for 2010 for persons with diabetes, include the following targets: have an annual dilated eye examination (75%; objective 5-13), have an annual foot examination (75%; objective 5-14), perform self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) at least once daily (60%; objective 5-17), and have a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurement at least twice per year (65%; objective 5-12 [revised]). In the U.S. territory of Guam (2004 population: 166,090), no previous population-based assessment of the use of diabetes-related preventive-care practices has been conducted. For this report, data from the 2001-2003 Guam Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed to determine the prevalence of preventive-care practices among persons with diabetes in Guam, which is the southernmost and largest of the Marianas Islands, located approximately 3,300 miles west of Hawaii and 1,550 miles south of Japan. Results of the analysis indicated that Guam residents with diabetes remain below the national targets for 2010 for four preventive-care practices, most notably SMBG. The preventive care programs and surveillance activities of the Guam Diabetes Prevention and Control Program (DPCP) should be continued, with emphasis on SMBG recommendations, to prevent poor health outcomes in persons with diabetes and achieve the national health objectives.