Over 38 million Americans live with diabetes, and 96 million have prediabetes. Each month it is estimated that more than 115,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease.
Diabetes Prevention
Approximately one in three Americans have prediabetes, but 80 percent are not aware they have it. That’s why it is critical to advocate for prevention and early detection of the disease. Centrus Health encourages patients to discuss their risks with their providers and take steps to prevent diabetes, including:
- Talk to your provider about screenings and risk assessments to identify potential risks, including the Prediabetes Risk Test from the CDC or the ADA’s Type 2 Risk Test.
- For at-risk patients, work with your provider to or recommend a lifestyle change program.
- Ask your provider about regular blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol level checks.
- Talk to your provider about lifestyle choices that may contribute to developing diabetes.
According to ADA, the strongest evidence for diabetes prevention in the U.S. comes from a Diabetes Prevention Program trial, which demonstrated that intensive lifestyle intervention could reduce the risk of incident type 2 diabetes by 58% over three years.
For more information about diabetes and prevention, visit the ADA Patient Education Library, which provides a number of patient educational resources. Through education and management, we can make a lasting difference in fighting this disease.