August 2, 2004, ST. LOUIS – The Kilo Diabetes & Vascular Research Foundation has committed $1.2 million to Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation to establish The Charles Kilo Chair for Type 2 Diabetes and Nutrition at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The chair honors Charles Kilo, MD, FACE, FACP, co-founder of the Kilo Foundation, for his long-term commitment to diabetes treatment, research and education of patients, physicians, diabetes nurse educators and nutritionists.
"The Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation welcomes The Charles Kilo Chair as its 17th endowed chair. These special funds will exist in perpetuity to support the clinical research and patient needs at Barnes-Jewish Hospital," says W. Frank Elston, CFRE, FAHP, Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation vice president.
Since 1972, the Kilo Foundation has worked relentlessly to combat diabetes. The Foundation’s goal is to preserve life, promote health and safeguard the lives of people with diabetes and vascular disease through research, education and proper care.
Diabetes is rapidly reaching epidemic proportions. Of the 18 to 20 million Americans living with diabetes, 90 percent have Type 2 diabetes. Once known as adult onset diabetes, Type 2 diabetes is now found in children as young as age 10. It is the seventh-leading cause of death by disease in the United States, claiming more than 500 lives each day. This is largely due to the increasing prevalence of obesity. Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly respond to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar and other food into energy.
"So many of Dr. Kilo’s patients are grateful to him for helping them control their diabetes," says Joseph R. Williamson, MD, co-founder, Kilo Foundation. "They have contributed very generously to the Kilo Foundation, and have a desire to see him honored and recognized for his efforts with the education and treatment he provides."
Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation will immediately begin raising the remaining $300,000 to endow the $1.5 million chair. Proceeds will be directed to the Center of Human Nutrition at Washington University School of Medicine, which provides a framework for nutrition research at the university and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The chair will serve as a tool to recruit additional expertise in the field of Type 2 diabetes research and nutrition.
"While savoring the honor, I must recognize the Kilo Foundation board, our many supporters, colleagues and friends who have over the years made the accomplishments of the Kilo Foundation possible," says Dr. Kilo. "We all know quality research is a bi-product of available research dollars, and my quest will continue forever."
Over the years, the Kilo Foundation has made significant strides in diabetes research. The research team, led by Dr. Kilo and Dr. Williamson, challenged and successfully refuted a major government -backed study on treatment methods that would have banned the use of oral diabetes medications forcing diabetics to take insulin or face poorly controlled diabetes. Last year, the Kilo Laboratory at Washington University School of Medicine, directed by Emil Unanue, MD, was the first in the world to provide evidence for a cure of Type 1 diabetes in mice.
"Considering diabetes is the leading cause of amputations, blindness, kidney and liver damage, it is important for us to attack this disease," says Thomas Littmann, Kilo Foundation board member. "If not treated properly, it can cause all types of problems. Last year, the United States government spent more money on diabetes and diabetes complications than on all types of cancer combined under Medicare and Medicaid. That’s why the work of the Kilo Foundation is critical."
Dr. Kilo, clinical professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, is the chief investigator for Kilo Clinical Research, Ltd. He maintains a private practice in internal medicine and endocrinology in St. Louis. Dr. Williamson was a professor of pathology at Washington University School of Medicine until his retirement in 1998.
If you would like to support The Charles Kilo Chair for Type 2 Diabetes and Nutrition, contact Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation at (314) 286-0600, or contact the Kilo Diabetes & Vascular Research Foundation at (314) 434-6500.
The mission of the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation is to help relieve pain and suffering by providing financial support to enable the hospital to fulfill its purpose. The Foundation raises, manages and disburses the necessary funds to the hospital. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Barnes-Jewish Hospital among America’s best hospitals.