Diabetes Alert and Resources

That National Diabetes Month falls right as our homes fill with sweets for the holidays is no accident. To those of us with a sweet tooth it even feels a bit mean – there’s no way we can claim ignorance. But the timing is intentional because Diabetes is such a big concern: Nearly half of Americans over age 65 have prediabetes, and 1 in 10 actually has diabetes. Of those, only 20 percent know that they are diabetic and need to manage for the disease.

Some people have risk factors that make it important to watch for diabetes – things like family history, age and race or ethnicity. But other controllable risk factors can help reduce the risk of diabetes: things like diet, exercise, tracking blood pressure and cholesterol levels, not smoking, and watching your alcohol intake.

Your doctor is the best person to assess your risk and to provide guidance. If you haven’t been in to see us in more than a year, please call now to get an appointment.

In the meantime, here are some useful resources, all on the American Heart Association website: Understanding your risk; Prevention and treatment; Tools and resources.