Panhandle Health District

                                                            8500 N. Atlas Road         Hayden, Idaho  83835

www.phd1.idaho.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      Date:     March 17, 2011                         

Contact:                                                                        Released by: Lora Whalen, Director                     

Cynthia Taggart

Public Information Officer

(208) 415-5108

(208) 818-7288 (cell)

Free Test Indicates Diabetes Risk

Hayden- March 22 is National Diabetes Day for a reason: nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes and about one-third of them don’t know it.

              Panhandle Health District (PHD) is encouraging residents of the five northern counties to find out if they’re at risk for diabetes by taking the American Diabetes Association Diabetes Risk Test available online at www.phd1.idaho.gov or http://ndep.nih.gov/index.aspx.

The one-page risk test provides information people can take to their doctor for follow-up and will be available March 21 – 25.

              The test is also available to pick up in all five PHD offices in the five northern counties, Dirne Community Clinic, Boundary Community Hospital, Spirit Lake Senior Center, Post Falls Senior Center, Emeritus Community Living, Senior Housing facility in Rathdrum, Head Start facilities and Yokes Pharmacy in Kellogg.

              Nearly 90,000 Idaho residents have diabetes and another 80,000 are considered pre-diabetic. They have blood glucose (sugar) levels higher than normal.

              Five percent of adults diagnosed have Type 1 diabetes, which is hereditary and caused by the pancreas not making insulin. Everyone else has Type 2 diabetes, which develops when blood glucose builds up in the body over time.

              People at the highest risk for Type 2 diabetes are obese, have a parent or sibling with Type 2 diabetes, are older than 45, developed diabetes while they were pregnant, are physically inactive and/or are African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian or Asian American.      

              Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States even though Type 2 diabetes is preventable and reversible. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults between the ages of 20 and 74. The risk for a stroke is two to four times higher in people with diabetes. Diabetes is also the leading cause of kidney failure and the second highest reason after accidents for leg and foot amputations.

              In addition to encouraging Panhandle residents to take the free Diabetes Risk Test, PHD is promoting a Diabetes Day educational fair at Spokane Community College, Saturday, March 26, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost is $10 and includes blood screening, foot and eye exams and workshops on nutrition and exercise, meal planning, dental hygiene, bariatric surgery, smoking cessation and more. For information, visit www.rockwoodclinic.com

              A free Healthy Eating with Diabetes class will start at Lake City Senior Center on April 18. Shelly Johnson with University of Idaho Extension teaches the course. For information, call 446-1680.

              For additional diabetes-related educational handouts/pamphlets, please contact Kristen Herron, PHD’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program Coordinator at 208-415-5140.