Diabetes Care Still Lagging in U.S.

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In addition, two in five people with diabetes have poor control of their cholesterol, one in three has poor blood-pressure control, and one in five has poor control of blood-sugar levels, Narayan said.

"There are good treatments available, which can prevent a lot of long-term complications, such as cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease, amputations and blindness," Narayan said.

He also noted there are many national programs aimed at preventing type 2 diabetes, as well as promoting better care for those with the disease. "Diabetes is a major cause of complications, unnecessary sickness and death, but applying what we know, a lot can be achieved. There has been a lot of positive improvement, but it's no time for being complacent," he said.

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One expert thinks the health-care system is not set up to prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications.

"This is a trend that has existed for several years that we look at with consternation," said Dr. Robert Rizza, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic and president of the American Diabetes Association.

Treatment of diabetes is a complex process, Rizza added. It takes the patient, doctor and the community working together to provide successful treatment. "This is not a matter of 'take a pill and go home,'" he said.

Caring effectively for diabetes is a team effort that also has to include the health-care systems, health insurers and government, Rizza said. "Keeping patients healthy saves the community and the nation hundreds of thousands of dollars by preventing complications," he said.

"We as a nation are struggling with that concept," Rizza said. "We still tend to treat say, heart attacks, and 50 to 60 percent of people who have heart attacks have diabetes. We are treating the heart attack, but we are not treating the cause."

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