November is National Diabetes Month: Let's take action to prevent diabetes health problems
National Diabetes Month is an annual observance held in November to raise awareness about diabetes and its prevention and treatment. This year's focus is on taking action to prevent diabetes health problems.
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy ¹. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes your body to attack the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body use glucose for energy. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes and is caused by insulin resistance and/or insulin deficiency. Insulin resistance means your cells don't respond normally to insulin. Insulin deficiency means your body doesn't produce enough insulin.
Diabetes is a serious health condition that can lead to a number of other health problems, including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, and amputation. However, with proper management and lifestyle changes, most people with diabetes can live long and healthy lives ².
Statistics about diabetes in Wyoming
8.7% of Wyoming adults have diabetes ³.
Diabetes is the 10th leading cause of death in Wyoming ⁴.
The prevalence of diabetes in Wyoming is lower than the national average ⁵.
1 in 3 adults in Wyoming is at risk of developing prediabetes ⁶.
What can you do to prevent diabetes?
There are a number of things you can do to prevent diabetes, including:
Eating a healthy diet: Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Limit processed foods, sugary drinks, and saturated and unhealthy fats.
Maintaining a healthy weight: If you are overweight or obese, losing even a small amount of weight can help to reduce your risk of developing diabetes.
Exercising regularly: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
Quitting smoking: Smoking damages your blood vessels and can make it more difficult to control your blood sugar levels.
If you have diabetes, what can you do to prevent health problems?
If you have diabetes, there are a number of things you can do to prevent health problems, including:
Managing your blood sugar levels: Managing your blood sugar levels is essential for preventing diabetes complications.
Eating a healthy diet: Eating a healthy diet is important for everyone, but it is especially important for people with diabetes.
Exercising regularly: Exercise is another important part of managing diabetes.
Taking your medications as prescribed: If you have diabetes, you may need to take medications to help control your blood sugar levels.
Seeing your provider regularly: It is important to see your provider regularly to get your blood sugar levels checked and to discuss your treatment plan.
How to Celebrate National Diabetes Month
There are a number of ways to celebrate National Diabetes Month, including:
Learn more about diabetes. The more you know about diabetes, the better equipped you will be to prevent it or manage it if you have it.
Talk to your provider about your risk of diabetes. If you have any concerns about your risk of developing diabetes, talk to your provider. They can help you to assess your risk and develop a plan to reduce your risk.
Wear blue. Blue is the official color of diabetes awareness. On November 14, World Diabetes Day, wear blue to show your support for people with diabetes.
National Diabetes Month is a time to raise awareness about diabetes and its prevention and treatment. By taking action to prevent diabetes health problems, we can help people with diabetes live long and healthy lives.
Sources:
¹ https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html
² https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
³ https://diabetes.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/ADV_2021_State_Fact_sheets_Wyoming_revpdf.pdf
⁴ https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/wyoming/wy.htm
⁵ https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/reports/reportcard/national-state-diabetes-trends.html