November is Diabetes Awareness Month
Holy Cross Hospital is a recognized provider of the CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program, which can help people make achievable and realistic lifestyle changes to cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 58 percent. Offered free via an online portal, Holy Cross provides trained lifestyle coaches, video lessons, easy food and activity tracking, 24/7 digital access, and an online community to build support among participants.
“November is Diabetes Awareness Month so it is a good time to assess your risk,” said Holy Cross Hospital's Kristen Schroeder-Brown, RN,CDE,CHES, Program Coordinator, Diabetes Prevention Program. “Approximately 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year and one out of every three adults, and nearly half of adults aged 65 years or older, has pre-diabetes. Of the 84 million Americans who are prediabetic, nine out of 10 don't even know they have it, because there often are no symptoms.”
Those who may be at risk of diabetes are overweight, not physically active, have high blood pressure, have a family member with diabetes, are a woman who has ever been diagnosed with gestational diabetes or are of African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Pacific Islander or Asian American descent.
Without diagnosis and proper interventions, pre-diabetes can easily develop into type 2 diabetes, increasing a patient’s risk of serious health conditions such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, and amputations of limbs. In many cases, diabetes can be prevented or delayed with weight loss, healthy eating, and exercise.
For more information on the Diabetes Prevention Program in-person or virtual groups, call 954-383-9419, email dpp@holy-cross.com or visit HolyCrossDPP.com.
About Holy Cross Hospital
A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale-based Holy Cross Hospital is a full-service, non-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. Holy Cross Hospital has been named one of the top five hospitals in the Miami metro area and among the top 20 in the state in U.S. News and World Report's 2019-2020 Best Hospital rankings. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a person-centered, transforming, healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as our community’s trusted health partner for life. To learn more about Holy Cross Hospital, visit holy-cross.com. Connect @holycrossfl.
