You Can Prevent The Complications Of Diabetes

(NAPSI)-The statistics are staggering. Diabetes is an epidemic, especially within the African-American and the Hispanic communities. About 54 million people, ages 40-74 years old, are prediabetic. Another 20.8 million people in the United States already have the disease and one-third of these do not even know it. Approximately 3.2 million African-Americans, ages 20 and older, are diabetic.

If you are overweight or obese, have a parent or sibling with diabetes, have high cholesterol and are of African-American descent, you are at risk for developing diabetes or may already have prediabetes. Just taking a few small steps, all Americans can prevent this disease and its harmful complications.

You Can Prevent Or Delay

The complications of diabetes include eye, kidney, nerve and even dental disease. Diabetics are also prone to amputations and blindness, as well as heart disease and stroke, which account for 65 percent of all deaths in patients with diabetes. "There is now scientific proof that individuals can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and its devastating complications," says Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., principal investigator for the National Medical Association's (NMA) Diabetes Education Program. To learn more, visit www.NMAdiabetesnet.org.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can prevent diabetes with just a few simple steps.

The NDEP and the NMA recommend the following:

• Ask your doctor. Talk with your health care provider during your next visit to find out your glucose level.
• Move it. Aim to get 15 minutes of physical activity a day. Each week, add five minutes until you build up to the recommended 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
• Choices, choices. Choose healthier foods. Increase your fruits and vegetables, beans and grains intake. Limit fried foods from your diet. Choose grilled or baked foods instead.
• Track it. Keeping a food diary is one of the most effective ways to lose weight and keep it off. Review this diary with your health care provider.
• Keep at it. Making even modest lifestyle changes can be tough in the beginning. Always get back on track, even if you fall off a few times. The key is to just keep at it.

A Free Game Plan

To get a free copy of "Small Steps. Big Rewards. Your Game Plan for Preventing Type 2 Diabetes," call (800) 428-5383 or visit www.ndep.nih.gov. To learn more about the National Medical Association and the National Diabetes Education Program, visit www.NMAdiabetesnet.org.

01/01/2008