Chances are

you know someone with diabetes, but it is also very

likely that you don't have a solid idea about what that

means.

Diabetes

affects millions of Americans, costing the economy

approximately $105 billion each year. The causes for the

disease are not known and the only known life support is

insulin therapy. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney

failure, new adult blindness and amputation. It can

strike at anytime to anybody.

Peachtree

City resident Fred Buttrell knows this and he, and the

Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International, are trying to

do something about it.

March 29,

Buttrell, a former Air Force fighter pilot, testified

before the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee

on Defense. Buttrell and JDF are seeking support for $5

million in research funding to allow the Department of

Defense to lead the effort to develop dual-use biosensor

technology. The biosensor would benefit the military as

well as the 16 million Americans with diabetes.

Buttrell

first learned he had the disease in 1993, approximately

eight months after he returned from the Persian Gulf. He

was in excellent physical condition, but started to

exhibit what he later learned to be the classic symptoms

of juvenile diabetes: extreme exhaustion, frequent

urination, excessive thirst and weight loss. He went to

the flight physicians and was told soon after that he had

diabetes.

He

currently takes 50 units of insulin a day, taking four

shots of three different insulin types. Since his

diagnosis, he estimates taking more than 10,000

injections of insulin and pricking his finger six or

seven times a day to monitor his blood glucose levels.

biosensor, if perfected, can non-invasively monitor the

physiological status of an individual. In military

situations, a biosensor could monitor metabolic products

to determine health status, detect toxic exposure to

biological and chemical hazards, accurately determine and

deliver antidotes or drug treatments and deliver

nutritional supplements.

The

civilian uses would also be tremendous, Buttrell says.

For diabetes, a biosensor could closely monitor glucose

levels to maintain health and avoid long term

complications of the disease, he said, adding that it

could also help determine the level of insulin that

should be administered in an individual. It would

significantly increase the quality of life and wellness

in many diabetes patients, said Buttrell.

It is not

known how much his testimony has helped and if the

government will act on it any time soon. The important

thing for Buttrell to do was to draw attention to the

need that is out there and the technology that exists

that could help, he said.

If you are

interested in helping the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation

International, phone 1-212-785-9500.