November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes. This total – which amounts to 8.3% of our country’s population – is one that only continues to rise.  Seventy nine million more Americans have pre-diabetes and are at risk of being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, further underlining the seriousness of the disease.

The month of November is officially designated as National Diabetes Awareness Month, and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) goes to great lengths every year to promote education about the various forms of the disease. The primary forms of diabetes include Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational Diabetes, and each type of the disease is treated and managed in a slightly different way. The vast majority of people with diabetes have been diagnosed with Type 2, while only about 5% of diabetics are Type 1. Both are chronic diseases. In contrast to Types 1 and 2, Gestational Diabetes is not chronic and affects women who are pregnant. Generally, Gestational Diabetes begins when women are 24 weeks pregnant and can continue for weeks after childbirth.

The Community Health Center, Inc. is well equipped to help its diabetic patients, and special efforts are made in November to raise awareness about the ways CHC caters to those battling diabetes. One event that will be taking place this month is the annual Diabetes Day event at our Meriden site. Planned for Friday, November 16^th, Diabetes Day will provide education on diabetes and management of the disease. From 10 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon, the public is invited to come and ask any questions they may have about the disease, all while enjoying free food samples and the chance to win themed prizes. Free retinal screenings will be offered to all who are interested, and there will be cooking demonstrations to show some wonderful meals that are conducive to staying healthy while living with diabetes.  Diabetes Day is completely free and is a great way to discover the commitment that CHC has to providing the very best care it can to all of its diabetic patients. For more information about Diabetes Day, use this link to view our Press Release. http://chc1.com/News/PressReleases/FINALAnnualDiabetesDay_Meriden

Stay tuned to this blog, the CHC Facebook account, and the CHC Twitter handle for continued news about the Community Health Center, Inc.’s efforts regarding diabetes during the month of November.

For more information on diabetes, take a look at our patient resource at www.chc1.com under our Model of Care.