In New York City alone, nearly one million New Yorkers have been diagnosed, with diabetes as the fourth leading cause of death affecting black, Hispanic, and low-income communities at the highest rates (1). Type 2 diabetes is much more common than type 1, as type 2 is primarily due to lifestyle factors and genetics. While those with a parent or sibling diagnosed with type 2 are more at risk, a number of lifestyle factors are known to be important to the development of type 2 diabetes. These include:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Physical Inactivity
- High blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose
Type 2 diabetes often results in health complications, including but not limited to: heart attack, stroke, limb amputations, end-stage renal disease, blindness, nerve and eye damage, skin conditions, Alzheimer’s and depression (2). If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and have questions, you’re not alone. EmblemHealth is here to help you manage and improve your health, and reduce the risk for complications.
EmblemHealth’s Diabetes Self-Management Program takes place at several of our EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care locations. During this program, we discuss topics that include healthy eating, physical activity, medication management, monitoring blood sugar levels, reducing risks, coping, and goal setting.
Diabetes self-management education has been shown to help people lower their sugar levels, reduce the risk of complications, make healthy lifestyle changes, and increase how often they undergo recommended testing. Diabetes education can help you learn more about diabetic devices, including how to properly use them, interpret your results, and better understand your medications.
Resources:
1. NYC Dept. of Health https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/survey/survey-2009diabetes.pdf
2. The Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371444
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