Got diabetes? According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 25.8 million adults and children have diabetes in the United States. Of those, an estimated 18.8 million have been diagnosed and 7 million are undiagnosed.
An even more foreboding figure is 79 million, which is the estimated number of American adults ages 20 years or older who have prediabetes. Could you be one of them?
Prediabetes is a condition in which a person’s blood sugar (blood glucose) or hemoglobin A1c levels are higher than normal but lower than the level used to define diabetes. This does not mean prediabetes is benign: damage to the circulatory system and heart can begin in prediabetes.
In fact, anyone who has prediabetes has an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
A “normal” blood glucose level is defined as a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) lower than 100 mg/dL, while a person is said to have prediabetes if the FPG is between 100 and 125 mg/dL. If the blood glucose level exceeds 125 mg/dL, a person is diagnosed with diabetes.
Free glucose screenings
If you live in the area of Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, and Milton, Delaware, you can get a free, finger-stick glucose screening any Wednesday from 1 PM to 2:30 PM at the following three locations:
Beebe Lab Express: 302-645-3010, ext. 2444
The Beebe Health Campus, Rt 24 (18941 John J. Williams Hwy), Rehoboth Beach DE
Beebe Lab Express: 302-645-3568
Beebe Medical Center, 424 Savannah Rd. 1st Floor, East Entrance, Lewes DE
Beebe Lab Express—Milton: 302-684-8579, Clipper Square Shopping Center, 614 Mulberry Street, Milton DE
You do not need an appointment. Note that a screening does not provide a diagnosis: the results can indicate whether you should see a physician for evaluation for diabetes.
If your blood glucose levels suggest you have prediabetes, this does not mean you will definitely develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or stroke. It does mean, however, you have an opportunity to prevent these conditions by taking three steps: lose weight, improve your diet, and increase your exercise, all of which can help lower blood glucose levels.
Comments