Diabetes has become a public health crisis quickly approaching epidemic proportions globally.

November is American Diabetes Month, making Nov. 14 World Diabetes Day.

Nov. 14 is the birthday of Frederick Banting, a Canadian physician who co-invented along with John James Rickard Macleod, insulin used to treat diabetes.

As such, it is important to understand the seriousness of the disease, while also realizing healthy living with diabetes is an achievable goal for each individual diagnosed.

It is also important to realize adopting healthy lifestyle changes can deter Type 2 diabetes altogether, or delay it by 58 percent.

Did you know diabetes can lead to heart attack and stroke, blindness or kidney failure?

Too much glucose, a type of sugar, in your blood can cause diabetes problems over time.

High blood glucose can cause heart and blood vessel disease, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Damage to the eyes, another side effect, can lead to loss of sight or blindness.

Nerve damage and poor blood flow can cause foot problems.

You can prevent or delay diabetes problems by keeping your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol under control.

Have you been diagnosed with pre-diabetes? If so, here are few things to think about.

A few alarming statistics:

— Every 23 seconds, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with diabetes.

— 86 million Americans are at risk for diabetes.

— Diabetes causes more deaths than AIDS and breast cancer combined.

It is important to recognize many times, Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program (DPRP) is a key component of the Nationals Diabetes Prevention Program.

This proven program can help people with prediabetes and people at risk for Type 2 diabetes make achievable and realistic lifestyle changes to cut their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58 percent.

To be eligible for referral to a CDC-recognized lifestyle change program, patients must meet the following requirements:

— Be at least 18 years old,

— Be overweight (BMI ≥ 24)

— Have established risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes or be diagnosed with prediabetes within the past year or previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) while pregnant.

The program will be offered at the Clark County Health Department starting March 2020.

An informational session will be determined and set in early March 2020. We are currently taking names for our orientation roster. Enrollment is required.

Call the Clark County Health Department at 744-4482 to find out about the cost of the program or email Amy Williams at amyw.williams@ky.gov.

Clark County Health Department provides programs for the entire family, including Smoking Cessation, WIC, HANDS, family planning, well child care/immunizations and home health care. For more information, call 744-4482 or www.clarkhealthdept.org.