HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Diabetes is a serious health condition and was Alabama's seventh leading cause of death in 2019. "Alabama especially is one of the main states with the highest prevalence of type two diabetes and pre-diabetes," Meridith Hinkle, Dietician and Diabetes educator at Crestwood Medical Center shares. "Nationwide, about one in three American adults has pre-diabetes and many people with pre-diabetes don't necessarily know that they have it either, especially if they're not following along with a primary care provider every year."
The National Diabetes Prevention Program—or National DPP—was created in 2010 to address the increasing burden of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in the United States. This national effort created partnerships between public and private organizations to offer evidence-based, cost-effective interventions that help prevent type 2 diabetes in communities across the United States.
"It's geared for people with pre-diabetes who are or who are at risk for developing type two diabetes and will be teaching just different habits that will help with the prevention of that development of diabetes," Hinkle shares.
Crestwood Medical Center is partnering with The PreventT2 lifestyle change program to help educate the community on the seriousness of the disease.
With PreventT2, you get:
•A proven program to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes
•A CDC-approved curriculum and trained lifestyle coach
•A year-long program with weekly meetings for the first 6 months,then once or twice a month for the second 6 months
•Support from others like you as you learn new skills
"We'll focus on various topics like nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep, eating well while traveling and eating out," Hinkle shares. "We have different lessons each week and it does come with group support as well for that entire year, so a lot of accountabilities is to be had at the classes as well."
To enroll in the lifestyle change program you must:
- Be 18 years or older.
- Be overweight (body mass index above 25, or 23 if you are Asian)
- Have NOT been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
- NOT be pregnant.
In addition, you must meet ONE of the following criteria: *
- Have had a recent blood test in the prediabetes range, which includes one of the following tests and results:
° Hemoglobin A1C: 5.7–6.4% or ° Fasting plasma glucose: 110–125 mg/dL or ° Two-hour plasma glucose (after a 75-gm glucose load): 140–199 mg/dL
- Have received a result of high risk for type 2 diabetes on the Prediabetes Risk Test.
- A doctor previously diagnosed you with gestational diabetes.
Attend a FREE information session to learn more Tuesday March 7th at OR Wednesday March 22nd Community Room at Crestwood Women’s Center