Kidney failure related to diabetes dropped by 54 percent from 1996 to 2013 among Native Americans, suggesting considerable success of population-based approaches to diabetes management launched by Indian Health Services in the 1980s, according to the CDC's latest Vital Signs report.
Native Americans are more likely to have diabetes — the most prominent cause of kidney failure — than any other ethnic demographic in the U.S. To improve diabetes care among the Native American population, IHS increased the use of medications to protect kidneys, improved educational efforts regarding diabetes management and sugar control in the community, among other efforts. Additionally, the federal government bolstered the IHS efforts by funding diabetes treatment and prevention services in Native American communities and creating a national system for tracking chronic kidney disease.
"We believe these strategies can be effective in any population," said Mary L. Smith, the principal deputy director of the IHS. "The patient, family and community are all key partners in managing chronic diseases, including diabetes."
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