Raising Awareness For American Diabetes Month

diabetes November is American Diabetes Month here in the US. While this may seem like common knowledge to many people, it’s important to reiterate that diabetes is one of the most common health conditions facing American adults and children. However, in many cases, diabetes can be prevented or at least managed with the right care, treatment, and healthy lifestyle habits. With this in mind, the healthcare providers here at Abraham Family Medicine wanted to provide some helpful information about diabetes for our readers.

We wanted to begin by providing some basic stats to reinforce just how prevalent diabetes is. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over 34.2 million Americans (10.5% of the US population) are currently living with diabetes. Of these cases, over 7.3 million cases are currently undiagnosed. An additional 88 million Americans (including over 24 million over the age of 65) have prediabetes and are at high risk of developing diabetes.

Needless to say, the threat of diabetes is something that cannot be ignored. Some people are born with diabetes (this is known as type 1 diabetes) and in these cases, prevention is not possible. However, there are several risk factors to be aware of that can contribute to the development of diabetes later in life (type 2 diabetes).

These diabetes risk factors include:

  • Being overweight
  • A lack of regular physical activity
  • A family history of diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Certain pre-existing medical conditions including polycystic ovary syndrome in women

The good news is that diabetes can be prevented. We recommend eating a healthy diet, low in both sugary foods and refined carbs. Exercising regularly can help increase insulin secretion and sensitivity, which may assist in reducing the progression from prediabetes to diabetes. It’s also important to drink plenty of water and avoid smoking.

One of the most effective methods for preventing and treating diabetes is to visit your healthcare provider for annual check-up appointments to make sure that you are healthy. For more information on diabetes or to schedule an appointment, please contact Abraham Family Medicine today. We offer a wide variety of general healthcare services for people of all ages at our Snellville office, located very close to Grayson, Dacula, Lilburn, Lawrenceville, Lithonia, Loganville, and Stone Mountain.