How to prevent diabetes from sneaking up on your patients

An AMA Viewpoints post by AMA Board Chair Stephen R. Permut, MD A major health threat has been silently taking hold of 86 million Americans, with 90 percent of them unaware of it. A new public health campaign is about to change that—and you’re the key to helping these patients take their health back. A campaign to prevent type 2 diabetes If you’re not already talking to your patients about prediabetes and the risks associated with it, it’s time to start. People with prediabetes—more than 1 in 3 adults—are at higher risk of developing serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. But the earlier patients know that they have prediabetes and start taking steps to address it, the better their chances of preventing type 2 diabetes and associated complications. That’s why the AMA has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Diabetes Association and the Ad Council in a highly visible public service ad campaign that clearly delivers an important message: Everyone needs to know whether they have prediabetes or not. The campaign is just getting underway today, and people will begin encountering these ads on their daily commutes, as they watch their favorite TV programs, listen to the radio and go online. Using humor, the ads get people’s attention that there’s no excuse not to find out their prediabetes risk, which they can do through a simple risk assessment at DoIHavePrediabetes.org....
Source: AMA Wire - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Source Type: news