Saint Joseph Diabetes and Nutrition Center Brings National Diabetes Prevention Program to Central Kentucky - Archived

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 2, 2013

For More Information:
Dana Graves
859.313.2393
[email protected]

Saint Joseph Diabetes and Nutrition Center Brings
National Diabetes Prevention Program to Central Kentucky

Lexington, Ky.— Saint Joseph Diabetes and Nutrition Center, now a part of KentuckyOne Health, is bringing the CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention ) to central Kentucky through funding provided by American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE ).

The National DPP will meet regularly for 16 weeks on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. beginning on May 28. The program will be held at the Education Center at Saint Joseph East Medical Office Building, 2^nd Floor, Suite 200, Room A, located at 160 N. Eagle Creek Drive, Lexington. Space is limited so register early. More sessions may follow this initial class starting May 28 based on interest level. To qualify for the National DPP, a person must be at high risk for developing diabetes, or have been diagnosed by a physician as someone with prediabetes. To take a quick assessment to if you are at risk, you can go to CDC's DPP website at cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention. 

One out of three adults lives with prediabetes, most of which are unaware of their condition. In Kentucky, about 59% of adults have been tested for diabetes in the past 3 years. Of those, 7% or about 233,000 Kentuckians have been diagnosed as having prediabetes. If you have prediabetes, you are 5 to15 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people with normal blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. However, type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with a healthy lifestyle, as evidenced through the National DPP.

National DPP helps those at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating right, increasing physical activity and losing a modest amount of weight. In a classroom setting, a trained lifestyle coach facilitates a small group of participants in learning about behavior changes over 16 one-hour sessions. Topics include healthier eating, getting started with physical activity, overcoming stress, staying motivated and more. The group helps to motivate and encourage each other.  After the initial 16 core sessions, participants meet monthly for additional support to help maintain their progress.

To participate in the National DPP, a person must be overweight and have prediabetes or be at high risk. One does not necessarily need a doctor’s referral. Prediabetes is determined by one of the one of the following blood test results:

• Fasting plasma glucose between 100-125 mg/d
• A1c between 5.7% and 6.4%
• 2-hour plasma glucose between 140 to 199 mg/dl

In addition, a combination of risk factors such as family history, being overweight or obese, gestational diabetes and inactivity may also put a person at risk and therefore make them eligible for the National DPP.

To register for the National DPP or learn more about the program, call Dana Graves at 859.313.2393 or visit sjhlex.org/dpp

About KentuckyOne Health
KentuckyOne Health was formed when two major Kentucky health care organizations came together in early 2012. KentuckyOne Health combines the Jewish and Catholic heritages of the two former systems – Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System. In late 2012, the organization formed a partnership with the University of Louisville Hospital | James Graham Brown Cancer Center.  The nonprofit system is committed to improving the health of Kentuckians by integrating medical research, education, technology and health care services wherever patients receive care. KentuckyOne Health has more than 200 locations including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies, with nearly 15,000 employees across the state of Kentucky and southern Indiana. KentuckyOne Health is the largest health system in Kentucky and has more than 3,100 licensed beds.