Blood Bank of Delmarva Launches the First Diabetes Testing Program for Blood Donors in the United States.

BBD expects to test more than 50,000 people and inform at least 10,000 donors in the first year that they may have the disease

NEWARK, Del. -- It had taken months of hard work and planning, but Stuart Sherman and his wife Melissa had finally taken their family of four on their dream vacation to Disneyworld. An athlete, non-profit executive and active dad in his 30s, Sherman was looking forward to a week of fun and laughter with his young children. Yet he had barely made it through the gates of the Magic Kingdom when he began experiencing extreme fatigue and an unquenchable thirst. On the third morning of his vacation, he woke up unable to see and was hospitalized.

He had undetected, out-of-control, Type I diabetes.

"I was completely shocked," said Sherman. "I have been active all my life and it never occurred to me that I could be at risk. After the fact I realized I had some signs that, had I been aware, might have sent me to the doctor; but I discounted them because I did not know they were signs of diabetes. In truth, I could have died. It took me months to recover because we had tremendous trouble trying to regulate my insulin levels. I am just grateful I made it through."

Sherman's experience is not as rare as one might think. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), more than 20.8 million children and adults in the United States (7% of the population) have diabetes and one third - 6.2 million people - are unaware that they have the disease. A 2002 study revealed that 224,092 people died of the disease that year, making diabetes the fifth deadliest disease in the country.

On Delmarva (the state of Delaware and Maryland and Virginia's Eastern Shore), about 8% of the population has diabetes, and again, about one-third do not know it. Even more staggering, on parts of the Shore the diabetes estimate is as high as 14-18%, possibly due to higher percentages of retirees and general traditional lifestyle habits such as a high-fat, high-sugar diet.

"The death rate for diabetes is on a dramatic rise. It has increased by 45% since 1987 - and it continues to go up while fatalities for other diseases such as heart attack, stroke and cancer continue to decline," said Bob Travis, CEO of Blood Bank of Delmarva, an independent blood bank that serves the Delmarva region.

Travis continued, "Diabetes is an easy disease to test for. You just need a very small amount of blood and it is a relatively inexpensive test. We see this as an important thing to do for our community, and we can make a real difference in peoples' lives in a whole new way."

Great Expectations

BBD's new, free diabetes testing program is the first of its kind in the country. Launched on October 4, the Blood Bank asks donors before their blood donation if they want to be screened for diabetes.

"We currently conduct 11 tests as part of the regular testing protocol," said Travis. "Now our donors have the opportunity to select a 12th test - for diabetes - at the same time and at no cost to them. We expect that a large percentage of our donors will take the option - and that we will help save lives by discovering previously undetected diabetes."

Travis formed a task force to study the cost and feasibility of offering diabetes screening to blood donors after he heard a presentation by Dr. Prakash Seshadri, an Endocrinologist based in Wilmington, Delaware at a Christiana Rotary Club meeting. Seshadri had given a presentation about the diabetes epidemic sweeping the country and the region specifically.

The task force included Travis, Dr. James Lenhard and Seshadri of Christiana Care Medical Center; Darrin Anderson of the American Diabetes Association of Delmarva; Dr. Paul Kaplan Medical Director of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware (who is also a BBD board member); Donald Post of the Delaware Department of Public Health; and other key members of the BBD staff and board.

"I was thrilled to be asked to participate in the task force because every day I see the impact undetected diabetes has on peoples' health," said Seshadri. "The testing program made sense on all levels - not only will it detect elevated blood sugar in blood donors, it will help educate the broader population on Delmarva to the risks diabetes poses to all of us."

The task force recommended that BBD implement the test as soon as possible. The Blood Bank's board quickly approved and agreed to fund the project.

"I cannot think of a better way to serve the community than to save lives, and this test will do just that," said Darrin Anderson, of the American Diabetes Association. "On Delmarva, diabetes has become a true epidemic. When one in nearly five people is developing diabetes, we have to find high profile ways to educate and treat the population."

It is expected that results from the testing will provide the largest pool of data available from one geographic region, and the task force hopes they will become part of a major study that can benefit other areas of the country.

"This program is an opportunity to save lives," said Travis. "The irony has not escaped us that someone may come in thinking they will save a life through blood donation, only to find their own life saved by diabetes screening."

Getting Tested

According to the ADA, there are two types of diabetes. Type I diabetes (also called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes) develops when the body's immune system destroys pancreatic beta cells, the only cells in the body that make the hormone insulin that regulates blood glucose. To survive, people with Type I diabetes must have insulin delivered by injection or a pump. This form of diabetes usually strikes children and young adults, although disease onset can occur at any age. Type I diabetes accounts for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

Type II diabetes (also called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes) accounts for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. It usually begins as "insulin resistance," a disorder in which the cells do not use insulin properly. As the need for insulin rises, the pancreas gradually loses its ability to produce it. Type II diabetes is associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose metabolism, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for Type II diabetes and its complications.

BBD's new test will measure non-fasting blood glucose levels that may be an indicator of diabetes. Currently BBD donors provide sample tubes of blood taken at the same time as the blood donation. These are used for the tests, which ensure blood safety. Donors who want to be screened for diabetes simply provide one small, additional test tube of blood at that time. They are then given a confidential number to access their results online at www.delmarvablood.org about 72 hours later. Results are posted for two weeks and then removed from the system.

Donors who have higher than normal glucose levels will also receive information about whether to pursue medical care and how to obtain information about diabetes. Those with dangerously high results will also receive a call from the Blood Bank urging them to seek medical treatment.

Note to reporters/editors: People who are diabetic can usually donate blood as long as their blood sugar is stable and they are in generally good health. For more information, you may want to suggest that the potential donor contact the BBD or their local blood bank for more information.