Updated in 2022.
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. One in 10 Americans have diabetes — that’s more than 30 million people. Another 84 million adults in the United States are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
This Diabetes Awareness Month, we asked Amy Aeschliman, Family Nurse Practitioner, to answer questions that might help you raise awareness about diabetes and work to prevent it in our community. You’ll also find important information about diabetes risk factors and how you can become a community advocate. Learn more below!
Why is raising awareness about diabetes important?
According to the American Diabetes Association, every 21 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes.
What advice would you give to people looking to prevent diabetes?
Make sure to have regular screenings with your primary provider. At these appointments, the discussion of diet, exercise, and healthy lifestyle can give you an action plan to decrease your risk of diabetes.
How can diabetes impact someone’s life?
The diagnosis of diabetes means you are more likely to go blind, lose a limb, or suffer from a heart attack or stroke.
What would you like to tell the community in regard to diabetes awareness and prevention?
The Family Health Clinic offers diabetic group visits and access to a variety of programs through the Purdue Extension Office to assist with healthy lifestyles. We also have on-site Pharmacist to assist with medication management.
Why did you specialize as a Family Nurse Practitioner?
I had always wanted to obtain a Master’s degree, and after 17 years in cardiology, I became very interested in the prevention of chronic diseases, like Diabetes. I wanted to treat my cardiology patients and decrease their health risks before they had a cardiac event.
The Diabetes Risk Factors
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named the following as the main diabetes risk factors. You are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes if you:
- Have prediabetes
- Are overweight
- Are 45 years or older
- Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
- Are physically active less than 3 times a week
- Have ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
- Are African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, or Alaska Native (some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are also at higher risk)
The good news is that type 2 diabetes is preventable with healthy lifestyle changes!
Make a difference this Diabetes Awareness Month!
Healthfinder.gov lists a few ways that we can raise awareness about diabetes risk factors and encourage people to make healthy changes:
- Encourage people to make small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Talk to people in your community about getting regular checkups. They can get their blood pressure and cholesterol checked, and ask their medical provider about their diabetes risk.
- Ask medical practitioners to be leaders in their communities by speaking about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.
Are you at risk?
Schedule an appointment with one of our knowledgeable Nurse Practitioners like Amy to learn more about diabetes risk factors and to discuss how you can make changes that will decrease your risk of diabetes.
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