November is American Diabetes Month, a time to control and prevent diabetes. For years, the American Diabetes Association has used this month as an opportunity to raise awareness of the disease and its serious complications. The theme for the American Diabetes Association is Stop Diabetes and encourages individuals to get involved by sharing, acting, learning, and giving.
With diabetes the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that allows your body to use glucose for energy. There are 23.6 million Americans who have diabetes and 15 million who do not know they have diabetes. Each year 1.6 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed. There are 57 million Americans who have prediabetes. If the present trends continue, one in three Americans born in 2000 will develop diabetes.
Are you someone who may be added to these numbers in the future? You are at risk for developing diabetes if you are overweight, have a family member with diabetes, had a baby weighing more than nine pounds, had gestational diabetes, or are in the following ethnic groups: African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, or Asian American. Additional risk factors include: high blood pressure, low HDL (good cholesterol), or high triglycerides.
If you have diabetes, your goal is to maintain good blood glucose control. If blood glucose is not controlled, you are at greater risk for complications. The risk of stroke or death from a heart attack is 2 to 4 times greater among individuals with diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure. More than 60% of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations occur among individuals with diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among adults 20-74 years of age.
Diabetes is not a one-way street to bad health problems. Individuals with diabetes can reduce their risk of complications by keeping their ABC’s under control. A- Stands for A1C or the measure of average blood glucose. B- Stands for blood pressure. C- Stands for cholesterol.
Your A1C measures your average blood glucose over the past three months. Lowering your A1C level to target range reduces your risk of complications. Talk with your doctor if you do not know your current A1C level. High blood pressure increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and eye problems. You should have your blood pressure checked during each doctor’s visit. An elevated LDL (bad cholesterol) can narrow or block blood vessels. The HDL (good cholesterol) is needed to remove cholesterol deposits. Increased triglycerides can increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke. You should have these lipid levels checked at least once a year.
Attending diabetes educational programs will help you learn as much as you can. Wayne HealthCare Diabetes Self-Management Education Department wants to be your partner to help with your blood glucose control. Individual sessions are available for Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT). During Diabetes Self-Management Education, individuals learn more about using a meter, diabetic medications, diabetes, exercise, complications and controlling blood sugar. During Medical Nutrition Therapy education, you will learn that by planning and moderation an individualized meal plan can fit into you lifestyle.
Group classes are provided in a comprehensive four class series using an interactive format. The classes encourage individual participation to improve learning. The classes will discuss the following: facts associated with diabetes and strategies to control blood sugar, the progression of diabetes, healthy eating, monitoring your blood sugar and how to use the results, causes of low and high blood sugar, the importance of exercise in blood sugar management, how different medications work on the body to help manage your blood sugar, and ways to reduce the risk of complications. The classes are provided at
$10 per class. To meet individual’s schedules, morning, afternoon, or evening classes are available depending on the month.
FREE Monthly Educational Programs are provided on a diabetic related topic. The educational sessions do not provide as in-depth education as other programs, but are provided to help individuals improve or maintain blood glucose control. To meet individual’s needs, the programs are offered as afternoon or evening classes on alternating months.
Contact the diabetes education department at 937-547-5750, to learn about different educational opportunities. We are an accredited program through the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
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