November is American Diabetes Month – if you are covering, the experts from Unum can help with your stories

It’s not a month to celebrate at all, and as Americans are becoming more sedentary and making increasingly poorer choices when it comes to nutrition and eating – diabetes is on the rise.

In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) more than 30 million Americans have diabetes. Of that number, an astonishing 7 million aren’t even aware they have the disease.

While there is no cure for diabetes, it can be controlled and managed with ample exercise, a proper diet and medicine.

The consequences of not controlling diabetes can lead to:

·        heart disease

·        stroke

·        blindness

·        kidney failure

·        lower limb amputations stemming from foot ulcers and infections

The reality is, most of these conditions are preventable with the simple but dedicated changes to lifestyle.

Diabetes is also taking a toll on the nation’s economic health according to Diabetes is also taking a toll on the nation’s economic health according to a new report by the Population Health Collaborative.

The report compares Buffalo Niagara with nine other metro regions – Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville and Pittsburgh.

Among its conclusions:

• The eight counties of Western New York make up the unhealthiest region in New York State. The region also finishes dead last among the 10 metro areas studied in five of 10 of health indicators – asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart attack and hypertension – and first in only one: stroke care.

• It costs $1.3 billion in the region each year to treat eight chronic, and in many cases preventable, conditions: asthma, breast cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and stroke.  

• Companies also collectively lose $1.2 billion annually in worker productivity due to five of those conditions: hypertension, obesity, diabetes, COPD and depression.

Are you a journalist covering American Diabetes Month? If so – let our experts help with your coverage.

Marcy Ledford has over 20 years of rehab, case management and return to work experience. She is a Director for the Workforce Solutions Group at Unum, where she helps corporations design and implement policies and practices that impact employee health and productivity in an effort to reduce lost time. Marcy is available to speak with media – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.