Veterans, Diabetes, and the Urgent Call for Compassionate Action
Author’s Note: This is primarily focused on the United States; it is applicable to all countries.
As I have noted in earlier blogs, November is Diabetes Awareness Month. A time to raise global awareness about a disease that affects over 500 million people worldwide. There is one group we too often overlook: Our Military and War Veterans. Those who have served their nation now face disproportionately high rates of Type 2 diabetes and its devastating complications. I humbly dedicate this blog to you.
Personal sharing on the Veterans in My Life.
In my father’s generation, as the sixth of seven children, he was the only one who did not serve in the military. His oldest sister was married to a soldier (as I am pretty sure), his four brothers served during World War 2 (this I know), as did several of their wives, and my father’s youngest sister was married to a National Guardsman, who was deployed several times. Due to this awareness, and my mother’s two brothers serving tours in Vietnam, I was raised with a high respect for all veterans, with a spotlight on our combat veterans.
A simple note to tie back, my one brand, Donohoe Diabetes. Even though I share the story of my father’s and my paternal grandmother’s health conditions often, and how they tie back to my own (genetic factors and foolishness), most, if not all, of my father’s generation, and too many cousins in my generation, live with type 2 diabetes, in addition to one cousin living with type 1 diabetes.
I heard many stories in the first-person voice of those who were on ships at Pearl Harbor, those who overran the Nazi’s after D-Day, and other stories during my childhood. One of the reasons I chose to pursue bachelor’s degrees in political science and history is that I was drawn to the vivid accounts. They were edited for the six- to ten-year-old boy, but I understood that people had died only thirty years earlier, which, in perspective and context, were the years from 1961 to 1965.
Someone who keeps alive Veterans Day and Memorial Day annually is a first cousin of mine, who served in Europe in the mid-1970s. Each year, he shares his mother’s story (who is living and over 100 years old), which brings the reality of war to a place of truth, and how our existence can be reliant on these moments.
When I was a child.
A teacher in an early grade (long before it would be taught today) shared the following poem:
“In Flanders Field” by John McCrae.
He was a Canadian physician, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, and wrote this poem on May 3rd, 1915. Here is a quick synopsis from Google Gemini AI (information confirmed and edited) of its background:
- Subject: The poem is a tribute to the fallen soldiers in the trenches and their sacrifice.
- Time & Reason: Following the death of a close friend and fellow soldier, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer
- Location: The poem was written in the Flanders region of Belgium, after the Second Battle of Ypres. This geographic area was a place of intense trench warfare during the First World War.
- Key imagery: It contrasts the natural beauty of the larks and poppies with the harshness of war, as well as the newly dug graves, creating a poignant and haunting scene.
- Main message: It serves as a solemn memorial and a passionate plea to the living to continue the fight for freedom, symbolized by the “torch” passed from the dead to the living.
- The History: Not required, but for a deeper understanding
My response was haunted. Growing up from the time of Halloween until Veterans Day in the 1970s and 1980s, veterans from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) would sell the “Buddy Poppy“ at the door of every store as a fundraiser. What it became to me was a reminder of service, and those who sacrificed their lives, not only in death, but the time they spent away from family, and the stress they were under. For a little kid, it was a lot, but it built a lasting respect.
Image by Peter Dargatz from Pixabay
Now, back to the reason for this post: Awareness and a Plea.
These heroes answered the call to protect our freedom, yet far too many are fighting an invisible war against a disease that should be preventable, treatable, and managed with dignity and respect.
The data tell a painful story: Veterans are significantly more likely than civilians to develop Type 2 diabetes, experience cardiovascular disease, suffer kidney failure, and even endure limb amputations due to diabetes-related vascular damage.
The Link Between Military Service and Diabetes
The increased diabetes risk among Veterans isn’t a coincidence. It’s a consequence.
Decades of research show several interlocking causes:
- Exposure to Agent Orange and other toxins among Vietnam-era Veterans is now a recognized cause of diabetes and related complications.
- Chronic stress, PTSD, and depression, which elevate cortisol and impair glucose metabolism over time.
- Limited access to consistent nutrition and healthcare during service and afterward often leads to poor dietary habits and delayed disease detection.
- High prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome after discharge, frequently linked to musculoskeletal injuries that limit physical activity.
The result is a population at extraordinary risk, one that is too often underserved.
The Rarely Noticed, Almost Silent Epidemic
Diabetes-Related Complications Among Veterans
Diabetes is more than high blood sugar; it’s a systemic disease that affects nearly every organ system. Among Veterans, we see:
- Peripheral vascular (arterial and venous) disease and neuropathy, leading to chronic wounds that too often end in lower-limb amputation.
- Chronic kidney disease places Veterans at one of the highest per-capita rates of dialysis in the U.S.
- Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among Veterans with diabetes.
- Vision loss and retinopathy severely impact independence and quality of life.
These are not abstract medical conditions; they are daily realities for thousands of men and women who once carried the rights and freedom of the nation on their shoulders.
My Opinion: How We Are Failing Our Veterans
It is my opinion that we are failing our Veterans with diabetes, not from the lack of resources, but from a lack of coordination, prioritization, and empathy.
The U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) is one of the largest integrated health systems in the world, yet too many Veterans report difficulty accessing timely endocrinology care, nutrition counseling, or diabetic foot specialists. Preventable amputations are the ultimate symbol of systemic failure, and still occur at alarming rates, on a daily basis!
We have the technology. We have the data. We have the public health expertise.
What we lack is the collective will to ensure that no Veteran loses a limb—or their life—to a preventable complication of diabetes.
What We Can, and Must Do
- Prioritize Diabetes Screening and Prevention in the VA System
Implement mandatory annual diabetes screening for all Veterans, especially those with PTSD, obesity, or toxic exposure histories. - Expand Access to Multidisciplinary Care
Every VA facility should have integrated diabetes care teams, comprising endocrinologists, podiatrists, dietitians, mental health providers, and case managers working in tandem. - Leverage Telehealth and Remote Monitoring
Many Veterans live in rural areas far from specialty care. Digital glucose monitoring and telehealth programs can help close that gap immediately. - Invest in Mental Health as a Diabetes Intervention
Addressing PTSD, depression, and social isolation directly improves glucose control and adherence to care. - Enhance Global Collaboration
The challenge isn’t uniquely American. Veterans across allied nations—from Canada and the UK to Australia—face similar health inequities. Global Veteran health coalitions could share insights and innovations to reduce the burden of diabetes. - Adopt a Population Health Framework
Instead of treating diabetes one patient at a time, the VA and other agencies must view it through a population health lens—tracking outcomes, social determinants, and long-term prevention strategies across the entire Veteran population.
Image by Thomas Ulrich from Pixabay
A Call to Action: From Awareness to Real Accountability
To the Veterans Administration, I urge:
Redefine what “care” means. Move from reactive disease management to proactive health preservation.
To the current White House administration and Congress:
Fund comprehensive Veteran diabetes initiatives. Set measurable goals that are tied to prevention, education, and equitable access.
To public health leaders in the Health & Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control
Recognize Veterans as a distinct at-risk population in diabetes surveillance and policy planning.
And to all of us as a society:
Let’s remember that freedom is not free, and neither should be the care our Veterans need to live full, healthy lives.
Closing Thoughts
“Freedom is Not Free”
Veterans once carried and utilized the tools of our national defense; now they carry the tools of living with and defending their bodies from diabetes. Insulin vials or pens, glucose meters or CGMs, glucose tabs or glucagon, and much more.
They fought for us—it’s time we fight for them.
This Diabetes Awareness Month, let’s make their health our mission.
Every Veteran deserves more than gratitude—they deserve a system and a way that ensures they do not lose battles or, more so, the war to diabetes. ~msd
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