My grandfather had diabetes, so I have always wondered if I was prone to developing that disease as well. I have been working on eating healthier over the past year and improving my overall personal health. So, when I learned about the opportunity to attend a diabetes screening and educational program as part of the national “Not Me” tour right here at the Phoenix Center, I decided to take advantage of this Company-sponsored benefit.
The statistics are staggering—the Arizona Department of Health estimates 8.5 percent of the state’s adult population has diabetes, costing the state nearly $3 billion annually in health care costs. Nationally, nearly 26 million people, or 8.3 percent of the population, have diabetes, and 79 million Americans have prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The statistics are staggering—the Arizona Department of Health estimates 8.5 percent of the state’s adult population has diabetes, costing the state nearly $3 billion annually in health care costs. Nationally, nearly 26 million people, or 8.3 percent of the population, have diabetes, and 79 million Americans have prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hundreds of my fellow Co-Hearts attended this event, which featured UnitedHealthcare clinicians and diabetes specialists who provided a risk assessment and glucose tests to determine whether or not folks were in danger of developing prediabetes or diabetes.
I can’t say that I was not a little worried when I walked up to fill out the simple paperwork. When I sat down, the nurse explained that this five-minute Hemoglobin A1c test would measure my average blood glucose level over the past 90 days rather than taking an instant snapshot. A minute later, my finger had been lanced and a blood sample was taken. As I waited for the results of the test, my nurse calmly explained about how the test would show if I was in the normal range, pre-diabetic, or high risk.
I was relieved to get normal results and that my efforts to stay healthier have paid off. Thanks to Southwest Airlines and UnitedHealthcare for helping to me manage my health and making it so much easier to do so!
November is National Diabetes Month. You can join the conversation on Twitter on @myUHC or follow the hashtag #diabetes for facts and actionable tips.