The Christian Hospital Diabetes Institute and the hospital’s Wound Care Center will observe American Diabetes Alert Day Tuesday, March 28. The Diabetes Busters mobile unit will provide free diabetes screenings that day from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Christian Hospital, located at the I-270/Hwy. 367 interchange.
It is estimated that 20 million Americans suffer from diabetes. The disease is more common in minorities, particularly African Americans.
American Diabetes Alert Day is held annually on the fourth Tuesday of March. The goal is to raise awareness about diabetes and to encourage people to find out if they are at risk. Diabetes risk increases as people get older, gain too much weight or become inactive. Risk factors include hypertension (at or above 130/80) and a family history of diabetes. In some patients, diabetes may lead to serious complications such as diabetic neuropathy, a condition that blunts perception, allowing for chronic non-healing wounds to develop on a patient’s foot or lower limbs.
For more information, visit www.christianhospital.org.