HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO RECOGNIZE NATIONAL DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH
JACKSON, Tenn. – The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in recognizing November as National Diabetes Awareness Month.
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. More than 34 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of them don’t know they have it, according to the CDC. In the United States, 88 million adults have prediabetes and more than 84% of them don’t know they have it. Prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.
“Diabetes education is important because many people don’t even know they have the disease,” Health Educator Amanda Johnson said. “Without proper care and education, diabetes can be deadly.”
People with diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease or stroke as people without diabetes, according to CDC. Diabetes is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease in the United States, lower-limb amputations, and adult blindness. Smokers are 30-40% more like to develop type 2 diabetes than nonsmokers. People with diabetes who smoke are more likely to develop serious related health problems, including heart and kidney disease.
You’re at risk for developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes if you:
Are overweight
Are age 45 or older
Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
Are physically active less than three times a week
Have ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant) or given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed through a structured lifestyle change program that promotes weight loss, healthy eating, and increased physical activity. “Diabetes can be controlled and managed with early identification and education,” Johnson said. “It’s better to be proactive than reactive.”
The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department provides free education for people living with diabetes and prediabetes. Call 731-423-3020 for more information about those workshops. Find more information about diabetes at https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/.
