ARMC Recognizes Diabetes Awareness Month, Offering Free Health Fair
By: BigCountryHomePage.com Staff
Updated: October 23, 2012
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and Abilene Regional Medical Center is offering a Diabetes Awareness Health Fair Thursday, November 8.
The free health fair is designed to provide individuals with information on prevention and management that lead to greater health.
Medical professionals will be on hand to answer questions and discuss risk factors. Free blood sugar and blood pressure screenings will also be available.
Diabetes is a disease affecting more than 25 million Americans, according to a study by the American Diabetes Association.
In Texas, according to the Texas Department of Health, more than one million Texans have been diagnosed with diabetes and another half million are believed to have undiagnosed diabetes.
Risk factors for diabetes include:
Member of a high risk group: African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian American
Family history of diabetes
High or low blood sugar
Overweight (over 20% ideal weight)
Limited physical exercise
Age 45 or older
Previous diabetes with pregnancy or delivering a baby weighing more than 9 pounds at birth.
Additionally, numerous residents have pre-diabetes and are at high risk for developing the disease later in life. People with pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes, are at increased risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Lifestyle changes can delay development of diabetes and its complications.
The Texas Department of Health says new guidelines recommend everyone age 45 and older consider being tested for diabetes every three years. People in high risk ethnic groups should be tested at a younger age.
Testing includes two different fasting blood sugar (FBS) tests on two different days.
Diabetes can damage many parts of the body, leading to heart attack, stroke, amputation, blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage. But, these complications can be delayed or even prevented by managing glucose, blood pressure, diet and exercise.
This special health fair will be held in the Women's Center classrooms at ARMC on Thursday, November 8 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Fasting is encouraged for the those intending on participating in the blood sugar screening. Snacks will be provided.
For more information, contact ARMC's Marketing department at 325-428-4950.
The free health fair is designed to provide individuals with information on prevention and management that lead to greater health.
Medical professionals will be on hand to answer questions and discuss risk factors. Free blood sugar and blood pressure screenings will also be available.
Diabetes is a disease affecting more than 25 million Americans, according to a study by the American Diabetes Association.
In Texas, according to the Texas Department of Health, more than one million Texans have been diagnosed with diabetes and another half million are believed to have undiagnosed diabetes.
Risk factors for diabetes include:
Member of a high risk group: African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian American
Family history of diabetes
High or low blood sugar
Overweight (over 20% ideal weight)
Limited physical exercise
Age 45 or older
Previous diabetes with pregnancy or delivering a baby weighing more than 9 pounds at birth.
Additionally, numerous residents have pre-diabetes and are at high risk for developing the disease later in life. People with pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes, are at increased risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Lifestyle changes can delay development of diabetes and its complications.
The Texas Department of Health says new guidelines recommend everyone age 45 and older consider being tested for diabetes every three years. People in high risk ethnic groups should be tested at a younger age.
Testing includes two different fasting blood sugar (FBS) tests on two different days.
Diabetes can damage many parts of the body, leading to heart attack, stroke, amputation, blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage. But, these complications can be delayed or even prevented by managing glucose, blood pressure, diet and exercise.
This special health fair will be held in the Women's Center classrooms at ARMC on Thursday, November 8 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Fasting is encouraged for the those intending on participating in the blood sugar screening. Snacks will be provided.
For more information, contact ARMC's Marketing department at 325-428-4950.
