Diabetes, the seventh leading cause of death in North Carolina, costs the state an average of 5.3 billion dollars in medicine, in visits to a physician, and in hospitalization, not to mention the toll it takes in human lives and suffering. Lynda Bunch, the recently retired executive director of United Way, would like to do something to lower those statistics.

Bunch is a data collector with Elders 2, a four year study of diabetics 60 years of age and older in Scotland and the surrounding counties. Funded by the National Institute on Aging and administered through the Wake Forest School of Medicine, the project is designed to educate physicians and other health care professionals about the way people with diabetes perceive the disease.

"Diabetes is a big problem in this area," Bunch said, "and the data collected in the Elders 2 study will teach health care professionals what people believe about diabetes with the ultimate goal of helping diabetics learn ways to better take care of themselves."

Bunch visits diabetics in an eight county area, where she conducts two interviews of a one to one and a half hour duration, one month apart. Sample questions include asking how the participant believes they acquired the disease and how they manage the affliction.

At the end of the first interview, Bunch uses a fingerstick to obtain a hemoglobin A1C reading.

"Volunteers are paid a small fee for contributing to the study," Bunch said. "It is a good way to contribute to our current knowledge of diabetes, and a way to assist others who may develop the disease in the future."

Chris Chapman, project manager with the Elders 2 project, said the study addresses two major issues in connection with the disease.

"First, we collect information on the degree of literacy or illiteracy a patient might have," she said. "Sometimes those who suffer are unable to read prescriptions, or are unable to understand the date of their next appointment; second, we see this group of diabetics as the last generation of those whose parents didn't know what diabetes truly was. There is a lot of folklore out there about how to treat the disease, so we want to be certain that health care professionals are aware of these types of perceptions."

Bunch related the story of a popular dietary approach to overcoming diabetes.

"Some people believe that by drinking vinegar, it will counteract the effects of high blood sugar," Bunch said. "It's important that health care professionals take opinions such as these into consideration when counseling a diabetic patient."

According to Bunch, the study focuses on this particular region of the state due to the high incidence of diabetes that is found here.

"It seems like you cannot get a group of five people together in this area without one of them being a diabetic," Bunch said. "It is that prevalent."

Anyone interested in participating in the study may contact Bunch at 369-4757 to set up an appointment.

"There is a need to teach health care professionals to better communicate ways to control diabetes, and to teach ways to prevent the onset of the disease in the first place," Bunch said. "If you are a diabetic 60 years of age or older, and have been diagnosed with this affliction for at least two years, I invite you to contact me and to participate in this study."