SHARE:  
Join Our Email List
POLICY PULSE
November 2015 
Health Observances 

E at Well, America! is this year's theme for 
American Diabetes Month  (ADM), a time for communities to band together and stop diabetes. Over 100 million Americans have, or are at risk for, diabetes. The annual cost for patients diagnosed  with diabetes is estimated to be $245 billion, according to the  American Diabetes Association  ( ADA).  With nearly 30 million children and adults diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S., it is important to raise awareness of diabetes risk factors and educate those affected by diabetes about chronic disease management techniques, especially high-risk populations.  View the ADA's fact sheet to learn more about the national effect of diabetes and diabetes-friendly nutrition tips. Help promote ADM by sharing ADA's posters found HERE. 
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Each year during the month of November,  Lung Cancer Awareness Month   brings attention to this complicated disease. During this month the community is educated on the importance of bringing awareness to lung lancer as well as eliminating the myths associated with it. As the leading cancer killer of both men and women within the U.S., the American Lung Association states that "it also has one of the lowest five year survival rates of all cancers." Some statistics of lung cancer include:  
  • Lung cancer causes the most cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for 1.8 million new cases and 1.6 million deaths annually.
  • Lung cancer causes more deaths than the next three most common cancers combined (colon, breast and prostate).
  • An estimated 159,040 Americans are expected to die from lung cancer in 2015, accounting for approximately 27 percent of all cancer deaths.

For more information on lung cancer, visit the National Cancer Institute's website.
National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month 

November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. Alzheimer's disease is an ongoing brain disorder that damages and eventually destroys brain cells, leading to memory loss and changes in thinking and other brain functions. According to  Alzheimer's Association , a few signs for Alzheimer's to be aware of in cases where the symptoms worsen include:
  • Memory loss that disrupts daily life,
  • Confusion with time or place, 
  • Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps  
  • Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
 Alzheimer's disease accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases.  As of right now, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, thus researchers have stated that they're searching for new treatments to improve the life expectancy for those living with dementia. For more information   about Alzheimer's/dementia, visit the  Alzheimer's Association website. 
.  

November is National Stomach Cancer Awareness Month  however raising awareness about stomach cancer is important all year round. Cancer.org states that more than one million people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer each year. In 2015, about 24,590 new cases of stomach cancer were estimated to be diagnosed in the United States alone. Stomach Cancer Awareness Month helps to raise stomach cancer awareness by: 
  • Raising awareness and support efforts to educate people about stomach cancer, including risk factors, prevention and early detection
  • To encouraging people and interested groups and organizations to observe and support Stomach Cancer Awareness Month through appropriate programs and activities to promote public awareness of, and potential treatments for, stomach cancer
Statistics pertaining to Stomach Cancer say that "stomach cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer and the third most common cause of death from cancer worldwide, with an estimated number of 723,000 deaths annually." Studies have shown for this year alone 10,000 Americans were estimated to die from stomach cancer. To learn more about the

Health Policy Research Consortium
Office: 301-375-2021
Email: info@hprc.info
Website: www.hprc.info 

HPRC is supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the National Institutes of Health under award number #1U54MD008608-01. This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
STAY CONNECTED   
Like us on Facebook    Follow us on Twitter