Bowling Green, OH— More than 29 million Americans—or about 9 percent of the U.S. population—have diabetes, and it is estimated that one in every four people with diabetes does not even know they have the disease. In Ohio alone, diabetes affects morethan 10 percent (885,815) of Ohio adults. In addition, it is estimated that nearly 200,000 Ohio adults have either been diagnosed with gestational diabetes or prediabetes, increasing their risk of progressing to Type 2 diabetes later in life. If left undiagnosed or untreated, diabetes can lead to serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.
This November, the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) and Wood County Health District are encouraging people with diabetes to “Be Smart About Your Heart: Control the ABCs of Diabetes.” This is a critical message because people with diabetes are nearly two times more likely to die from heart disease or stroke than a person without diabetes.
The good news is that people with diabetes can lower their chance of having diabetes-related heart problems by managing their Diabetes ABCs:
- A is for the A1C test (A-one-C). This is a blood test that measures your average blood sugar (glucose) level over the past three months.
- B is for Blood pressure.
- C is for Cholesterol.
- S is for stopping smoking.
“Managing the Diabetes ABCs can help prevent diabetes-related heart problems such as heart attack and stroke,” said Amy Jones, Director of Nursing for WCHD. “Many people with diabetes do not understand that having diabetes puts them at increased risk for having a heart attack or stroke. The NDEP has many practical resources that can help people with diabetes understand how to manage their disease, which includes managing blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, and stopping smoking.”
If you have diabetes, ask your health care team what your A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol numbers are, and what they should be. Your ABC goals will depend on how long you have had diabetes and other health problems.
Please visit www.YourDiabetesInfo.org/DiabetesMonth2014 for more information about the link between diabetes and heart disease, and visit www.woodcountyhealth.org to learn more about the services provided by the Wood County Health District.
The Wood County Health District provides numerous services to the community, including medical services for uninsured and underinsured men, women and children. The mission of Wood County Health District is to take the initiative to facilitate opportunities for Wood County residents to lead healthy lives. The Health District is located at 1840 E. Gypsy Lane Rd. in Bowling Green. Normal office hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, with late hours and satellite clinics are available.
The Wood County Board of Health meetings are generally held on the second Thursday at 7:00 pm at the Wood County Health District and are open to the public.