DALLAS – Diabetes continues to be a major health issue in the United States. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the country and each year accounts for more than $245 billion in costs. The American Diabetes Association reports more than 29 million Americans, about one in 10 persons, has diabetes. The number of Texans with diabetes is expected to quadruple by 2040, with a disproportionately higher percentage in the Dallas County region.
With November designated as American Diabetes Awareness Month, Parkland Health & Hospital System is presenting a Diabetes Awareness Day from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19 at the Bluitt-Flowers Health Center, 303 E. Overton Road, Dallas, 75216. Bluitt-Flowers is one of Parkland’s 12 Community Oriented Primary Care health centers located throughout Dallas County.
During the Bluitt-Flowers Diabetes Awareness Day, which is open to the public at no cost, Parkland nurses, pharmacists, dietitians and others will provide vital information about diabetes through a series of educational stations that include discussions on how to live a healthy life with diabetes and prevention.
The prevalence of diabetes among adults in Texas is about 9.7 percent, while in Dallas County it stands at 11.4 percent, with the African-American and Hispanic communities especially hit hard. Diabetes is a major contributor to the leading cause of deaths in Dallas County, namely cardiovascular disease.
Health officials stress that education about diabetes is crucial. Currently, there are almost 90 million Americans who have prediabetes, a condition in which sugar levels are not high enough to be classified as diabetes, but are elevated above normal levels. People with prediabetes have a 50 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes if they don’t make significant lifestyle changes, such as diet and physical activity.
For more information about the Bluitt-Flowers Diabetes Awareness Day, please contact Sharon Cox at 214.266.4257 or email sharon.cox@phhs.org .
