Let’s Prevent One in Three

For years I have seen first-hand the devastation that diabetes has caused patients and their families. More than 57 million people in the U.S. have pre-diabetes, and many of them don’t even know they have the condition. The reality is that everyone is impacted by diabetes in some way. After reading that one in three children will be diagnosed with diabetes in their lifetime, I decided I wanted to get more involved and do more to help eradicate this epidemic.

My employer, CIGNA HealthCare of Arizona, is the presenting sponsor of the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) “Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes” walks taking place here in Chandler on Saturday morning, September 27. For the past few months, my colleagues and I have been fundraising and recruiting walkers to join us in the fight against diabetes. Those who are not able to participate have opted to sponsor a walker. But that is not enough – we must act not only as a community but as individuals. Listen to your bodies, recognize the signs of diabetes, and learn how to decrease your risk of the disease.

In addition to lifestyle factors, such as being overweight and not exercising, heredity may play a role in developing pre-diabetes and diabetes. Individuals should look out for the following symptoms:

• Intense, unusual thirst
• Frequent urination
• Irritability
• Exhaustion
• Blurry vision
• Excessive hunger or cravings

If you have these symptoms, visit a doctor now and ask to be screened for diabetes, including an evaluation of your HDL and LDL cholesterol, and fasting blood sugar levels.

According to new statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 23.6 million children and adults in the United States – nearly 8 percent of the population – have diabetes. This is an increase of more than three million people with diabetes in just two years. Here in Arizona more than 450,000 people are impacted by diabetes. These statistics and shocking and scary.

But knowledge is power. There is a wealth of information available to educate folks about diabetes prevention and pre-diabetes. For example, Cigna Medical Group offers a diabetes education program where patients learn self-management skills, such as monitoring blood sugars, healthy eating, proper use of diabetic medication, exercise, behavior change strategies and problem solving skills.

I encourage everyone to get involved in some way…and together we can help “stomp out” diabetes once and for all.

For more information about how you can participate in one of the ADA’s upcoming walks, please visit www.diabetes.org/stepout.

Guest article contributed by Edward Schwartz, M.D., Medical Director with Cigna Medical Group and  Ahwatukee resident.

Editors note: See also Step Out Walk to Fight Diabetes