Juvenile diabetes on the rise in Nevada

Tuesday, April 7, 1998 | 10:25 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- There's a budding epidemic of diabetes cases among Nevada's youth and the state is not doing enough to help in the treatment, a Las Vegas physician told a legislative health committee Monday.

Dr. David Donaldson, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, said Columbia Sunrise Hospital and University Medical Center have put up resources to help pay for juvenile diabetes treatment programs.

"But there's no support from the state at this time," Donaldson, who was backed by parents whose children have diabetes, said.

He told the committee that another team of specialists is needed at the medical school because he can't keep up with the cases in Southern Nevada.

Committee Chairman Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, said it would write a letter asking the counties to support the effort until the Legislature can act when it meets in 1999.

Diabetic Nancy Russell told the committee that her 5-year-old was hit with the illness which has been a "devastating experience to go through." She said Donaldson was the "only one in the community" that was a specialist in pediatric diabetes.

"I was appalled there was no one else around," the Clark County resident said.

Kent Deevers testified that Donaldson is one man and he can't do it all. Deevers children are Donaldson's patients and if Donaldson "leaves or doesn't get help, I will have to move to a place to get the type of care they need."

The Green Valley resident continued, "I don't want to leave. I love where I live but there needs to be other types of clinics."

According to Dr. Randall Todd of the state Health Division there were 41,650 people in Nevada diagnosed with diabetes in 1994, which are the latest figures available. An estimated 32,000 have diabetes but don't know it and there are 315,000 people with risk factors for diabetes.

Complications from diabetes, which is defined as having a high level of glucose or sugar in the blood, include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney problems and nerve damage.

Todd, chief of the Bureau of Disease Control and Intervention Services, said more data is needed to understand the extent of the problems in Nevada.