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It's Diabetes Awareness Month: Are You At Risk?
It's Diabetes Awareness Month: Are You At Risk?
Did you know that diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 29.1 million Americans have diabetes and another 86 million adults in the United States are at high risk of developing the disease.
The Sussex Warren Chronic Disease Coalition, in partnership with the Sussex County Division of Health, wants to raise awareness about diabetes and healthy living during Diabetes Awareness Month in November.
Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. When you have diabetes, your body either does not make enough insulin or cannot use its own insulin as well as it should, possibly causing sugar to build up in your blood. Diabetes can cause serious health problems including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations.
Some risk factors for developing diabetes including being overweight, having high blood pressure, family history of diabetes, lack of physical activity, ethnicity, or if you are age 45 or older.
The good news is that making healthy changes can greatly lower your risk. To help prevent type 2 diabetes:
- Watch your weight
- Eat healthy
- Get more physical activity
To learn more about diabetes/prediabetes and how to prevent the disease, visit the CDC's website, at https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes or the Sussex Warren Chronic Disease Coalition's website at www.sussex.nj.us/sussexwarrencoalition.