FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 7, 2019
LAS VEGAS – Ten percent of adults over the age of 20 in Clark County live with the realities of diabetes every day. For others, November is a time to bring awareness to one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States. During American Diabetes Month, the Southern Nevada Health District reminds people with diabetes, people at-risk for developing diabetes, and their families that self-management and prevention are keys to good health. The Health District’s Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion offers diabetes self-management classes and a variety of resources. For more information, visit the Get Healthy Clark County Diabetes webpage or call (702) 759-1270.
Diabetes’ many complications include blindness, neuropathy, kidney disease, and hearing loss, as well as increased risks for heart disease or stroke. It remains the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Self-management helps people understand and manage their disease, learn the skills to check blood sugar, eat healthy, reduce additional health care risk factors, learn how to increase physical activity, and how to work with a health care team for additional support.
“People with diabetes can live healthy lives, but they must learn to manage their disease. Diabetes can impact so many different aspects of health and people can become overwhelmed by that,” said Rayleen Earney, a diabetes health educator in the Health District’s Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. “Self-management classes are excellent tools to learn the skills it takes to live healthy with diabetes. The Health District as well as our community partners offer classes and other activities.”
In 2019, the Health District’s Diabetes Self-Management Education Program earned recognition from the American Diabetes Association as a program that meets the national standards for diabetes education. In addition to the Health District, Diabetes Self-Management Classes are offered by several community partners.
A Nevada Diabetes Resource Directory that provides information about classes, prevention, clinics, specialists, support groups, and more is available in English and Spanish on the Get Healthy Clark County Diabetes webpage.
The Health District offers education about how people can lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes with a free, online diabetes prevention program called the Road to Diabetes Prevention. The program was developed specifically for people with prediabetes or who are at risk for diabetes. The six-session course is available in English and Spanish. It teaches participants about risk factors and how to make simple lifestyle changes. Participants can sign up for the Road to Diabetes Prevention program on the Get Healthy Clark County or the Viva Saludable’s Programa de Prevención de Diabetes en línea webpages.
The Southern Nevada Health District serves as the local public health authority for Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. The agency safeguards the public health of the community’s residents and visitors through innovative programs, regulations, and initiatives focused on protecting and promoting their health and well-being. More information about the Health District, its programs, services, and the regulatory oversight it provides is available at www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.