The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in recognizing November as National Diabetes Month.

According to a press release from Mallory Cooke –  Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department Public Information Officer – Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

More than 30 million people in the United States have diabetes – one in four – don’t know they have it,
according to the CDC.

More than 84 million US adults have prediabetes and 90 percent of them don’t know they have it, according to the CDC.

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 the leading cause of chronic kidney disease in the United States, lower-limb amputations, and adult-onset blindness. Smokers are 30 to 40 percent more likely 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.”

Find more information about diabetes at https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/. Call the health
department at (731) 423-3020 if you have questions.

(PHOTO: Mallory Cooke,  Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department Public Information Officer)

David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
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