summer-2003-Part 2-live - Nieman Foundation - Harvard University

Medical ReportingBrigette Little Owl carefully reads labelsof food she buys for the family. She iscomparing regular vs. light Bisquick.Kendall Little Owl tests his blood sugar level. Thistesting is very much a part of his family’s life. Both ofhis parents are insulin dependent. His younger brotherhas tested positive for acanthosis nigricans, a predictorof insulin resistance. The family struggles to create andmaintain lifestyle changes to reduce the chances that thesons will develop the disease and improve the parents’chances for longer lives.Kendall Little Owl shows indications of acanthosisnigricans. A dark spot, which is an indicator, wasdiscovered during routine screenings done at the tribalschool. This discovery offers an opportunity for earlydiabetes prevention in children.Photos by Mary Annette Pember.48 Nieman Reports / Summer 2003