For instance, the age-adjusted death rates are over 200% higher for Native Americans and over 130% higher for blacks compared to whites. Because diabetes is a risk factor for other chronic diseases especially cardiovascular disease, the total impact of diabetes on the longevity of Oklahoma citizens is even greater than what present data shows (Oklahoma Diabetes State Plan, n.d.). In the United States, diabetes represents $491.8 billion in direct medical costs and $39.8 billion in indirect medical costs. The per capita yearly costs are about $10,882. Applying this figure to the anticipated number of persons with diagnosed diabetes in Oklahoma, the cost attributable to diabetes in Oklahoma is thought to be $1.8 billion. The economic burden of diabetes in Oklahoma is widespread (Oklahoma Diabetes State Plan, n.d.). Diabetes affects an estimated 23.6 million people in the United States and is the 7th leading cause of death (Diabetes, 2011).

The State of Oklahoma has put into place a diabetes state plan in order to help fight the incidence of diabetes in the state. The plan includes:

the prevention of diabetes by endorsing healthy eating and augmented physical activity among all Oklahoma citizens the prevention of diabetes complications by promoting appropriate diabetes care, management and follow-up.

Increasing the use of ADA/IHS guidelines for standards of care

Providing more venues for health provider education

Identifying diabetes earlier

Increasing the focus on the 5 national objectives as identified by CDC (Oklahoma Diabetes State Plan, n.d.).

Healthy People 2020

4. When looking at the latest State of the State Health Report (2008), for Oklahoma there are several areas in which the health of the state is ranked with a grade of "D." Three of these areas are Cancer, Heart Disease and Obesity. All of these areas are of great concern to the state because they all lead to death. Obesity is of specific concern since...

Yet, cancer remains a leading cause of death in the United States, second only to heart disease. The cancer objectives for Healthy People 2020 support watching trends in cancer incidence, mortality, and survival to better evaluate the progress made toward decreasing the burden of cancer in the United States. The objective is 160.6 deaths per 100,000 people, which is a ten percent improvement (Health People 2020, 2011). According to the State of the State Health Report for 2008, Oklahoma is currently as 196.7 deaths per 100,000 people. Oklahoma still has a long way to go in order to meet this goal.
County Health Issue

5. In Tulsa County Oklahoma the leading health issue is heart disease. According to the State of the State Health Report (2008), the incidence of heart disease deaths in Tulsa County is 252.4 per 100,000 people. This is a little below the state's incidence rate of 261.7 deaths per 100,000 people but way above the U.S. incidence rate of 211.4 deaths per 100,000 people. It appears that the reasons for such high incidence include: lack of physical activity (25.9%), smoking (22.5%) and obesity (24.1%). These are all issues that this county is looking to improve in order to decrease the heart disease deaths that are taking place in the county.

Newspaper Article

6. Here is a link to an article if you need it. http://nativetimes.com/life/health/5985-preventing-falls-in-older-persons-can-prevent-admissions-to-care-facilities-