DECATUR, Ga. – One in three American adults has prediabetes-and most of them don’t know it. The DeKalb County Board of Health wants you to understand your risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
As a part of American Diabetes Alert Day, the Board of Health is hosting a Diabetes Alert Day event on Tuesday, March 26. Stop by between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the T.O. Vinson Health Center, located at 440 Winn Way in Decatur. The event is free and open to the public.
Activities will include a panel discussion, healthy snacks and testing to measure blood sugar. Individuals with prediabetes can learn about and enroll in the Prevent T2 program to avoid developing type 2 diabetes.
“Everyone should be aware of their risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes,” said DeKalb County District Health Director S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D., M.B.A. “Diabetes Alert Day is a wake-up call about diabetes and the importance of being tested. Early diagnosis can enable people to receive prompt treatment.”
Both prediabetes and diabetes involve an above-normal sugar level in the blood. Early diagnosis can help avoid complications like include stroke, heart and kidney disease, blindness and amputation.
The Georgia Department of Public Health reports that, in 2017 among DeKalb’s adults, there were over 1,700 hospitalizations and 174 deaths due to diabetes complications. According to the 2018 State of Obesity report, at the current pace, Georgia is projected to have over 1 million cases of diabetes by 2030.
The Board of Health’s Diabetes Alert Day partners include the Diabetes “You Can Win” Foundation, The Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority, the Live Healthy DeKalb Coalition and the Ruby A. Neeson Diabetes Awareness Foundation.
For more information, call (404) 508-7847 or email dekalb.ocdp@dph.ga.gov.