Guest Columnist November 22, 2022 0
Todd Hoffman
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released an alarming report that ranked Oklahoma as the fifth-highest state for diabetes-related deaths. November is National Diabetes Month, and it’s as good a time as ever to take meaningful steps to beat diabetes.
Diabetes inhibits the body’s ability to produce or use insulin effectively, resulting in abnormally high blood glucose levels. Diabetes is life-threatening and increases risks for health complications like heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. If you’ve been diagnosed, you’re not alone: More than 370,000 Oklahomans suffer from diabetes, and of the more than 37 million Americans with the disease, 1 in 5 don’t know they have it.
Although symptoms like excessive thirst and blurred vision could indicate diabetes, many living with it are asymptomatic. The only way to know for certain is by seeing your doctor to get your blood sugar tested. The A1C test averages blood sugar levels from the past three months and is considered one of the best ways to diagnose diabetes or prediabetes. Even if you don’t think you’re at risk, you should be screened as part of regular physicals with your doctor.
The cost of diabetes is staggering – the American Diabetes Association estimates $327 billion spent each year in the U.S. – not to mention the mental and physical toll that it takes on patients and their caregivers. Fortunately, diabetes can be managed with lifestyle changes, and in the case of type 2 diabetes, prevented altogether. Exercise, weight loss, good nutrition, and blood glucose monitoring work together to combat diabetes. It’s crucial for diabetes patients to carefully manage their disease by following the medication and insulin therapy plan prescribed by their doctor.
One of the leading causes of blindness and vision loss in the U.S. is diabetic retinopathy, a disease in which high blood sugar levels harm eye blood vessels over time. Annual vision exams are critical in the fight against diabetic retinopathy and can prevent up to 95% of vision loss caused by the disease.
Diabetes is a serious yet manageable disease. With the right care and a good support system, patients can live a full life and avoid major complications.
Make it a good month!
Todd Hoffman, M.D., C.P.E. is chief medical officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, a division of Health Care Service Corp., a Mutual Legal Reserve Company.
Tagged with: American Diabetes Association Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office Visit Todd Hoffman
November 21, 2022
November 21, 2022
November 21, 2022
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