November is American Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. It can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease and other health problems if it’s not controlled. The disease occurs when your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high.
One in 11 Americans has diabetes — that’s more than 29 million people. And another 86 million adults in the United States are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The good news? People who are at high risk for type 2 diabetes can lower their risk by more than half just by making healthy changes to their lifestyles. These changes include: eating healthy, increasing physical activity and losing weight. Please discuss your risks for diabetes and how to integrate healthy habits into your lifestyle with your medical provider.
Sources:
Piedmont HealthCare
US Department of Health and Human Services
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
