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American Diabetes Month

Health-Wellness_FemaleDoctorDiabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. If it’s not controlled, diabetes can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, and other health problems.

One in 12 Americans has diabetes – that’s more than 25 million people. And another 79 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 if they make healthy changes. These changes include: eating healthy, increasing physical activity, and losing weight.

How can American Diabetes Month make a difference?

We can use this month to raise awareness about diabetes risk factors and encourage people to make healthy changes.

Here are just a few ideas:

  • Encourage people to make small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Talk to people in your community about getting regular checkups. They can get their blood pressure and cholesterol checked, and ask the doctor about their diabetes risk.
  • Ask doctors and nurses to be leaders in their communities by speaking about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.

How can I help spread the word?

We’ve made it easier for you to make a difference. This toolkit is full of ideas to help you take action today. For example:

Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services http://www.healthfinder.gov “American Diabetes Month” http://healthfinder.gov/NHO/NovemberToolkit.aspx Accessed December 2, 2015.

© Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. This content is strictly for informational purposes and although experts have prepared it, the reader should not substitute this information for professional insurance advice. If you have any questions, please consult your insurance professional before acting on any information presented. Read more.

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Diabetes Awareness This National Diabetes Month

Diabetes: if you don’t live with it yourself, then it’s likely you have a family member or friend who does. This November during National Diabetes Month, ask yourself if you’re at risk of type 2 diabetes and take steps to prevent it. Diabetes affects 26 million Americans, with 19 million people diagnosed and 7 million undiagnosed. And an estimated 79 million American adults aged 20 years or older have prediabetes, which puts them at high risk for developing the disease.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugar to build up in your blood.

What are the types of diabetes?

  • Type 1 diabetes, which was previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or juvenile-onset diabetes, may account for about 5% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
  • Type 2 diabetes, which was previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes, may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
  • Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that only pregnant women get. If not treated, it can cause problems for mothers and babies. Gestational diabetes develops in 2% to 10% of all pregnancies but usually disappears when a pregnancy is over.
  • Other specific types of diabetes resulting from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses may account for 1% to 5% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

Prediabetes is an elevated blood glucose level that is not quite high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes, but is higher than normal. One in three American adults has prediabetes, and most do not even know they have it. Many people with prediabetes who do not lose weight or do moderate physical activity will develop type 2 diabetes within 3 years.

Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and amputations of the foot, toe or leg. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

You are at increased risk for developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes if you:

  • Are 45 years of age or older.
  • Are overweight.
  • Have a family history of type 2 diabetes.
  • Are physically active fewer than three times per week.
  • Ever gave birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds.
  • Ever had diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes).

What Can You Do?

Researchers are making progress in identifying the exact genetics and “triggers” that predispose some individuals to develop type 1 diabetes, but prevention remains elusive.

A number of studies have shown that regular physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity.

The CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program is an evidence-based lifestyle change program for preventing type 2 diabetes.

  • It can help people cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes in half.
  • The Diabetes Prevention Program research study showed that making modest behavior changes helped participants lose 5% to 7% of their body weight—that is 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person.
  • These lifestyle changes reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% in people with prediabetes.
  • Participants work with a lifestyle coach in a group setting to receive a 1-year lifestyle change program that includes 16 core sessions (usually 1 per week) and 6 post-core sessions (1 per month).

You don’t have to do this alone. Prevent or delay type 2 diabetes today by learning about its risks and making lifestyle changes with a group in your community.

 More Information

Source: CDC http://www.cdc.gov “Diabetes Awareness This National Diabetes Month” http://www.cdc.gov/features/livingwithdiabetes Accessed December 2, 2015.

© Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. This content is strictly for informational purposes and although experts have prepared it, the reader should not substitute this information for professional insurance advice. If you have any questions, please consult your insurance professional before acting on any information presented. Read more.

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Living With Diabetes: Keep Your Feet Healthy

Health-Wellness_Fitness-Sport_RunnerIf you have diabetes, it’s important to take care of your feet and the rest of your body. Checking your feet daily can prevent serious problems. During Foot Health Month in April, learn more about protecting your feet.

People with diabetes can develop serious problems with their feet that can affect how easily they can walk, and even lead to amputation.

Many of these serious problems can be prevented by taking good care of your feet and your health

Latest Research

Research shows that diabetes often causes problems with feet and legs, and these problems can be severe.

In 2008 alone, more than 70,000 people with diabetes had a leg or foot amputated. Amputations in people with diabetes account for more than 60% of the amputations of legs and feet not resulting from an injury, such as from a car crash. People with diabetes were eight times as likely to lose a leg or foot to amputation as people without diabetes, according to CDC research.

How Diabetes Can Hurt Your Feet

These are some of the ways that diabetes can harm your feet:

  • Diabetes reduces blood flow to certain areas of the body, especially the legs and feet, which makes it harder for your body to heal injuries.
  • Diabetes nerve damage may cause you to no longer feel pain in your feet, and you may not realize you have a wound or injury that needs treatment.

Diabetic nerve damage appears to be more common in people with the following conditions:

Warning Signs

If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your health care provider or a podiatrist (foot doctor) right away.

  • You may feel pain in your legs or cramping in your buttocks, thighs, or calves during physical activity.
  • Your feet may tingle, burn, or hurt.
  • You may lose the sense of touch or not be able to feel heat or cold very well.
  • The shape of your feet may change over time.
  • The color and temperature of your feet may change.
  • You may lose hair on your toes, feet, and lower legs.
  • The skin on your feet may become dry and cracked.
  • Your toenails may turn thick and yellow.
  • Fungus infections such as athlete’s foot may appear between your toes.
  • You may have blisters, sores, ulcers, infected corns, and ingrown toenails.

Links to Foot Health Resources

The National Diabetes Education Program, an initiative of CDC and the National Institutes of Health, provides several Web pages and publications with helpful information on foot care and diabetes care:

CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation offers more resources:

Source: CDC http://www.cdc.gov “Living With Diabetes: Keep Your Feet Healthy” http://www.cdc.gov/Features/DiabetesFootHealth Accessed December 2, 2015.

© Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. This content is strictly for informational purposes and although experts have prepared it, the reader should not substitute this information for professional insurance advice. If you have any questions, please consult your insurance professional before acting on any information presented. Read more.

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IN: November Is American Diabetes Month

Dear Valued Customer,

November is American Diabetes Month – a time to shine a spotlight on a serious disease that leads to potentially life-threatening complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputation.

Consider these alarming facts, and read on for more:

• 24 million children and adults in the United States live with diabetes
• 57 million Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes
• 1 out of every 3 children born today will face a future with diabetes if current trends continue
• In the next 24 hours, 4,320 new cases of diabetes will be diagnosed

We appreciate your continued business and look forward to serving you.

Kind regards,