Attack diabetes with prevention!

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Seniors Walking Together at the ParkKentucky is facing a diabetes epidemic. It is estimated that more than 600,000 Kentuckians have diabetes and 1.1 million people have prediabetes.

One of the best ways to attack the diabetes epidemic is PREVENT it.

Type 2 diabetes can be delayed or prevented and we know how to do it!

Action steps are needed to screen for, diagnose, and treat prediabetes. Prediabetes is a serious condition in which the blood glucose (sugar) is higher than normal but not high enough to diagnose type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes often goes undiagnosed since there are no symptoms.  About one in three adults in Kentucky are believed to have prediabetes and only one in 10 know it.  (CDC, 2014)

One-third of those with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within five years, unless, they and their health care team address this issue. The good news is there is something we can do once we know a person has prediabetes.

The National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP), a lifestyle change program recognized through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been proven to cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by half in those who have prediabetes.  Studies show that losing just 5 to 7 percent of body weight, by eating healthier and increasing physical activity, can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes (for a person who weighs 200 pounds, that’s about 10 to 15 pounds).

Take the first step — visit doihaveprediabetes.org and take the one-minute risk test today!

Fortunately, Kentucky has been expanding resources to improve access to diabetes prevention programs. There are several diabetes prevention programs offered in Jefferson and surrounding counties, including the UofL Physicians – Diabetes and Obesity Center.

To locate a diabetes prevention program, visit the Kentucky Diabetes Resource Directory at https://prd.chfs.ky.gov/KYDiabetesResources/or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/index.html.

Written in conjunction with the Kentucky Diabetes Network.


Make an appointment at the UofL Physicians – Diabetes and Obesity Center. Request an appointment online or call 502-588-4600.

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Article by: UofL Health

UofL Health is a fully integrated regional academic health system with eight hospitals, four medical centers, Brown Cancer Center, Eye Institute, nearly 200 physician practice locations, and more than 1,000 providers in Louisville and the surrounding counties, including southern Indiana. Additional access to UofL Health is provided through a partnership with Carroll County Memorial Hospital. With more than 13,000 team members – physicians, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists and other highly-skilled health care professionals, UofL Health is focused on one mission: to transform the health of communities we serve through compassionate, innovative, patient-centered care.

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