Category: Heart and blood vessel disease, and diabetes

Expert Steps to Prevent and Manage Diabetes

This post introduces National Diabetes Month, aimed at raising diabetes awareness and promoting prevention and management. Diabetes causes high blood glucose due to insufficient insulin. Lifestyle changes, regular screenings, and medication adherence are essential for managing diabetes. Understanding risk factors and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can effectively prevent or delay diabetes onset and complications.

This information is current as of the date of original publication or update. It may have changed by the time you read this. I invite you to fact-check what you read here.

This information is not intended for diagnosis or treatment. Before making health decisions, discuss with your physician or other qualified healthcare provider to decide what is right for you.

National Diabetes Month

November is National Diabetes Month, designated to raise awareness of diabetes. Taking steps to prevent or manage diabetes may lower your risk of developing health problem related to diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease that causes too much of the body’s blood glucose, also called blood sugar, to accumulate in the bloodstream. Glucose is your body’s main source of energy. Glucose comes from the food you eat, and your body can make it.

Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas,  helps glucose get into your cells to be used for energy. If you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough—or any—insulin, or doesn’t use insulin properly. Without insulin, glucose doesn’t reach your cells.

Diabetes isn’t just about the pancreas. Diabetes affects the eyes, kidneys, nerves, skin, and heart. Diabetes is also linked to some types of cancer.

Knowledge plus action can prevent diabetes health problems.

Stats to Know about Diabetes

As of 2019, 37.3 million people—or 11.3% of the U.S. population—had diabetes.

More than 1 in 4 people over the age of 65 had diabetes. 

Nearly 1 in 4 adults with diabetes didn’t know they had the disease.

About 90% to 95% of diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes.

Know About Pre-diabetes

Prediabetes is defined as a blood sugar level that is in the higher end of the normal range, but not high enough to diagnose diabetes. While many of these people don’t develop diabetes, it does indicate a higher risk, so is worth knowing about and checking regularly. 

Since 2001, the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) research study has shown that intensive lifestyle interventions and select medications are cost-effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes. 

Learn Your Risk for Diabetes.

You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you have overweight or obesity; are age 35 or older; have a family history of diabetes; are African American, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic or Latino, or Pacific Islander; are not physically active; or have prediabetes.

The exact reasons these factors increase the chance of diabetes is not known. Scientists suspect genetics plays a role. Lifestyle may also impact one’s risk. 

Later in this post you can discover your risk for diabetes with a simple online test.

The ABCs of Diabetes 

Manage your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

Preventing diabetes or managing diabetes as soon as possible after diagnosis may help prevent diabetes health problems. You can start by managing your diabetes ABCs.

A is for the A1C test (hemoglobin A1C) that health care professionals use to measure your average blood glucose levels. Some people with diabetes also use devices to track their blood glucose throughout the day and night.

  • B is for Blood pressure.
  • C is for Cholesterol.
  • S is for Stop Smoking

Ask your health care team what your ABCs goals should be.

Develop a Healthy Lifestyle

Lifestyle habits like planning healthy meals, being physically active, getting enough sleep, and not smoking may help you prevent diabetes or manage your diabetes ABCs.

You don’t have to do it all at once. Start slow and build healthier habits from there.

Four illustrations of a family with the text: 1) Make sleep a priority, 2) Try a relaxing activity, 3) Focus on positivity, and 4) Eat healthy, regular meals and stay hydrated.

Using Diabetes Medications 

Remember to take your medicines even if you feel healthy. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have trouble taking your medicines on time or at the correct dose.

If you have trouble paying for medication, your doctor may suggest less costly alternatives. 

Insulin pumps contain enough insulin for several days. An infusion set carries insulin from the pump to the body through flexible plastic tubing and a soft tube or needle inserted under the skin.

Weight and Diabetes 

If you have overweight or obesity, ask your primary care provider if healthy eating, physical activity, or other weight-loss treatments may help you manage your weight.

You may prevent or delay diabetes by losing 5 to 7 percent of your starting weight. Use the Diabetes Risk Management Calculator to determine how much weight you can lose to help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Manage Stress and Emotions

Managing diabetes can be hard. If you feel down, sad, or overwhelmed, learn about healthy ways to cope with stress. Consider talking to a mental health counselor or joining a support group.

Work with your Healthcare Team.

Managing diabetes takes a team. Your health care team may include a primary care provider, diabetes specialist, registered dietitian, or certified diabetes educator.

Ask your primary care provider if you should talk with other health care professionals about preventing or managing diabetes. These might include specialists for

  • feet-podiatrists,
  • skin-dermatologists,
  • heart-cardiologists,
  • eyes-opthalmologists.

Diabetes medicines, devices, and office visits can be expensive. A social worker or a member of your health care team may be able to help you find community resources or financial help for diabetes care.

Your health insurance provider may offer additional services to manage diabetes. Some employers offer preventive medicine services to their employees and their dependents.

Post Images and Graphics

The images and graphics are public use from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health. I drew most of the content from the NIKKD website and added my insights.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), is part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK research creates knowledge about and treatments for diseases that are among the most chronic, costly, and consequential for patients, their families, and the Nation.

Cover Image

The cover image of this post was created by JetPackAI available with WordPress.

Awareness and Action

There is much more to know about diabetes but the main point I hope you take away from this post is the importance of getting screened for diabetes. Take this short test to assess your risk.

Assess Your Risk

What was your score? Mine was 5 out of 10, that’s considered high risk. I knew that because my father had diabetes and developed heart disease as a result. I lost him to his disease many years ago. I wish his diabetes had been discovered sooner and that he had done more to keep it well controlled.

Once you are screened, ask your health care provider how often it should be repeated. There is no one right answer, it depends largely on your risk factors. Anytime you feel seriously ill, especially if you have any of the symptoms of diabetes, you should be tested again.

Testing for diabetes is a simple blood test, relatively inexpensive, so there is no reason not to test adults. Children and teenagers need testing less often, unless there are significant risk factors.

Learn more about diabetes signs in this post

10 Silent Signs of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus type 2, often linked to obesity, complicates blood glucose control for overweight individuals. It contributes to serious complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, and neuropathy. Early diagnosis and effective management through lifestyle changes and medication are crucial. Everyone should be aware of symptoms and high-risk factors for diabetes.

Aletha Cress Oglesby, M.D.'s avatar by Aletha Cress Oglesby, M.D.

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How Bystander CPR Saves Lives in Emergencies

Many lives could be saved with proper CPR training, as timely intervention during a cardiac arrest significantly improves survival rates. A report highlights that despite high incidences of such emergencies, readiness is lacking. Easy access to AEDs and training resources, alongside awareness, are crucial in preventing unnecessary deaths from cardiac arrests.

When I was in medical practice, I stayed current in CPR certification. Fortunately, I never had to use it in the office and only once in a public place, a church.

But I have not updated my certification since leaving practice. But after reading this article from KFF, I reviewed CPR in a video.

A video is better than nothing, but if you have never taken a formal CPR class, I recommend it, especially if you are a caregiver for children or people at risk of heart disease, which is everyone.

I’m sharing this article and graphics to explain why CPR knowledge is so vital.

Fast Action From Bystanders Can Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival.

Many Don’t Know What To Do.

Written by Michelle Andrews, April 30, 2025

When a woman collapsed on an escalator at the Buffalo, New York, airport last June, Phil Clough knew what to do. He and another bystander put her flat on her back and checked her pulse (faint) and her breathing (shallow and erratic). Then she stopped breathing altogether.

Realizing that she might be having a cardiac arrest, Clough immediately started doing chest compressions, pressing hard and quickly on the center of her chest, while others nearby called 911 and ran to get an AED, automated external defibrillator.

Within seconds of receiving a shock from the AED, the woman opened her eyes. By the time the airport rescue team arrived a few minutes later, she was conscious and able to talk with rescuers.

“I don’t want to ever feel helpless,” said Clough, who had flown to Buffalo that evening on a work trip for his engineering job in Denver. After an incident several years earlier in which he was unsure how to help a woman who collapsed at his gym, he took a college course to get certified as an emergency medical responder, who can provide basic life support interventions.

The woman who collapsed was lucky: She lost consciousness in a public place where bystanders knew how to help her. Most people aren’t so fortunate.

In the United States, a lack of training and readiness to deal with this relatively common medical emergency contributes to thousands of deaths a year.

What is a cardiac arrest?

More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital setting in the United States annually, according to the American Heart Association. In 9 of 10 cases, the person dies because help doesn’t arrive quickly enough.

Every minute that passes without intervention reduces the odds of survival by 10%. But if someone immediately receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation and an AED shock, if needed, their survival odds can double or even triple.

Fewer than half of people get that immediate help, according to the AHA. A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops suddenly, often because the heart’s electrical system malfunctions. About 70% of cardiac arrests occur at home.

But even if someone collapses in a public place and an ambulance is called immediately, it takes roughly eight minutes, on average, for emergency personnel to arrive. In rural areas it can take much longer.

When someone has a cardiac arrest, they often require an electric shock from an AED to get their heart started again. These portable devices analyze the heart’s rhythm and instruct the user to deliver a shock, if necessary, through pads placed on the victim’s chest.

Where are the AEDs ?

But although many states require AEDs in public places such as airports, malls, and schools, they often aren’t easy to spot. A study of data from 2019 to 2022 found that after a cardiac arrest in a public place, bystanders used an AED 7% of the time and performed CPR 42% of the time.

The most comprehensive resource for identifying AEDs is a nonprofit foundation called PulsePoint, which has registered 185,000 AEDs in 5,400 communities in the United States. (Shannon Smith, PulsePoint vice president of communications).

If requested, the organization will help a community build its AED registry and connect it to the area’s 911 service free of charge.PulsePoint recently launched a national AED registry to further this effort.

Through a companion app, users trained in CPR can volunteer to be alerted to potential cardiac arrests within roughly a quarter-mile when calls come into a community’s emergency response dispatch service. The app also identifies registered AEDs nearby.

“PulsePoint is the closest thing we have to a national registry,” said Elijah White, president acute care technology at Zoll, a leading AED manufacturer. The company has provided location information for all its AEDs to PulsePoint. Still, PulsePoint has registered only a fraction of AEDs in the country. “It’s just a start,” White said.

Other factors may also keep bystanders from stepping in to help. They may lack CPR training or confidence, or fear liability if something goes wrong.

What are barriers to CPR?

Liability shouldn’t be a concern, in general. All 50 states and Washington, D.C., have “good Samaritan” laws that protect bystanders from legal liability if they intervene in a medical emergency in good faith.

But training can be a serious barrier. One study found that only 18% of people reported that they’d received CPR training within the previous two years, a key time frame for skills maintenance. Two-thirds of people reported having been trained at some point.

One way to boost training is to make it mandatory, and many states require CPR training for students to graduate.

But even though 86% of high school students reported having received some training, only 58% said they knew how to apply their skills, and a similar proportion said they knew how to use an AED.

“We’ve got some work to do,” said Dianne Atkins, a pediatric cardiologist and longtime AHA volunteer, who said ensuring high school training is a top priority for the AHA.

Other countries have prioritized training their residents in AED use and CPR for many years, with some success.

In Denmark requires training to get a driver’s license, and middle schoolers are trained. A survey found 45% of the population reported having received training through their workplace. In the study, 81% of respondents in the general public reported having been trained in CPR and 54% in how to use an AED.

Norway has provided first-aid training in primary schools since 1961 and mandates CPR training for a driver’s license. Ninety percent of the population reported they are trained in CPR.

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

In the United States,  many training courses are available, online and in person, that take only a few hours . For someone who’s never learned basic life-support skills, the training can be eye-opening.

This previously untrained reporter was taken aback to discover how forcefully and rapidly someone must press on a mannequin’s chest to do CPR correctly: 100 to 120 compressions a minute to a depth of at least 2 inches.

The most important thing is for ordinary people to know the basics well enough that “they would feel confident to call 911 and push hard and fast on someone’s chest,” said Audrey Blewer, an assistant professor of family medicine and community health at Duke University School of Medicine. She has published numerous studies on bystander CPR and AED use. “That doesn’t require a certification card and recent training.”

The most important thing is for ordinary people to know the basics well enough that “they would feel confident to call 911 and push hard and fast on someone’s chest,” said Audrey Blewer

Audrey Blewer, Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health

During an emergency, 911 dispatchers can also play a crucial role in walking people through doing CPR and operating an AED, said David Hiltz, volunteer program director of the HeartSafe Communities program at the Citizen CPR Foundation, a nonprofit that works to improve cardiac arrest survival through training and education.

Phil Clough has stayed in touch with Rebecca Sada, the woman who collapsed at the Buffalo airport that June day as she was coming home from a trip to visit her daughter.

Needing an Internal Defibrillator

Sada, who had no history of heart trouble before her cardiac arrest, now has an automated defibrillator implanted in her chest to stabilize a previously undiagnosed electrical problem with her heart. An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, an ICD, is a small battery-powered device placed in the chest. It detects and stops arrhythmias, irregular heartbeats. An ICD constantly checks the heartbeat. It delivers electric shocks, when needed, to restore a regular heartbeat.

She and her husband invited Clough for dinner, and they are friends for life, she said. One other change that occurred as a result of Sada’s cardiac arrest: She and her husband got certified in CPR and AED.

“Now, if we needed to help someone down the road, we’d be able to,” Sada said.

(Edited for readability and length.)

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

Subscribe to KFF Health News’ free Morning Briefing.

This article first appeared on KFF Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Post Images

The images in this post are courtesy of the American Heart Association unless stated otherwise.

Exploring the HEART of Health

I hope the information in this post gives you inspiration to learn CPR.

Remember, the most important thing to do in any medical emergency is call 911, or your local emergency number. Don’t try to manage a medical crisis by yourself, it takes a team.

Use this link to search for other posts about heart disease, including how to keep your heart healthy. And please share this post wherever you interact socially.

I’d love for you to follow this blog. I share information and inspiration to help you turn health challenges into health opportunities.

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Medical stethoscope and heart on a textured background

Dr Aletha