Get Healthy Carson City: November is Diabetes Awareness Month

This column appears in the Nevada Appeal Tuesday health pages. It addresses topics related to the health of our community.

November is American Diabetes Month. Carson City Health and Human Services wants to take a moment to remind everyone about the important public health impact that diabetes has in our country and also the health challenges faced by those with diabetes. Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes. An additional 86 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. What is true nationwide is also true for Nevada.

Nevada has approximately 281,355 people with diabetes; that is 12.4 percent of our population, or one in every eight people. An additional alarming number is those with pre-diabetes. Almost 800,000 Nevadans have pre-diabetes, which represents 38.5 percent of our population. The costs associated with diabetes and pre-diabetes in Nevada alone exceed $2.4 billion each year. Serious complications from diabetes include heart disease, stroke, amputation, end-stage kidney disease, blindness, and even death.

Do you know if you have diabetes? Here are some risk factors for diabetes and pre-diabetes.

Overweight;

Age 45 and older;

Have parent or sibling with Type 2 Diabetes;

Exercise or physically active less than 3 times a week;

Had gestational diabetes during pregnancy;

African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, or Alaska Native (some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are also at higher risk);

Tobacco user.

The American Diabetes Association has a self-assessment risk test. You can pick up the risk test at Carson City Health and Human Services (located at 900 E. Long St.), or use this link to print or take the test online: http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/diabetes-risk-test/. Consider taking this self-test and sharing the information with your healthcare provider.

What do you do if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes? Talk to your healthcare provider about enrolling in a diabetes self-management class or diabetes prevention class.

Carson Tahoe Health provides a certified program for both those with diabetes or those with pre-diabetes. You can inquire about these classes on its website at https://www.carsontahoe.com/wellness. Also, United Latino Community in Carson City offers diabetes self-management classes in Spanish.

For more information on diabetes or to find out if you might be at risk for the disease, visit www.diabetes.org. To learn about diabetes services offered by Carson Tahoe Hospital, check out their website at carsontahoe.com or call 775-445-5169. Stay up-to-date on everything going on at Carson City Health and Human Services by visiting gethealthycarsoncity.org or by “liking” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CCHHS.