Up to 86 million Americans have prediabetes, a condition that puts them at high risk for getting Type 2 diabetes. As many as 90% do not know they have this condition. Or that they can do things to prevent it becoming full-blown diabetes.
March 28 is Diabetes Alert Day
The American Diabetes Association has declared March 28 to be Diabetes Alert Day. Their goal is for Americans across the nation to take a simple Diabetes Risk Test. If your loved one (or you!) score more than 5 points, it would be wise to set up a screening with your health care provider.
Prediabetes
Type 2 diabetes comes on gradually. Over time, the body becomes resistant to insulin, the hormone that helps us regulate sugar in the bloodstream. The pancreas perceives that there’s too much sugar and tries to create more and more insulin. But it can’t create enough. As a result, blood sugar is high, causing many different problems.
Impact of diabetes
At [Your Home Care Business] we see the impact of full-blown diabetes first hand. With too much sugar in the blood, but an inability to absorb it
- the cells in the body are actually starved for fuel;
- the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart can become severely damaged.
If left unchecked, the results can include blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, amputation of the feet, and frequent infections. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. This is not a condition to ignore!
Risk factors
Certainly, advancing age is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Other groups at higher risk are Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders. Being overweight and lack of physical activity are also associated with prediabetes and diabetes.
There are things you can do!
Fortunately, prediabetes, and diabetes itself, respond well to lifestyle changes. Check out the article about diabetes in our e-library for family caregivers.
Diabetes runs in families. It also becomes a family issue, since lifestyle changes affect family members as well. As the [Your Service Area] experts in family caregiving, we can help you manage the day-in, day-out changes that can make the difference between life-threatening diabetes and a very livable condition. Give us a call at [Your Phone Number].