Community wellness initiative tackles prediabetes, high blood pressure and obesity

Did you know? • 79 million U.S. adults have prediabetes • 67 million U.S. adults have high blood pressure • 78 million U.S. adults are obese

On Jan. 7, Novant Health announced our new community wellness initiative. Through this initiative, we made the commitment to screen 500,000 people in 2014 alone for high blood pressure, prediabetes and obesity. We believe we can create a wellness epidemic by helping people identify and reduce risk factors for chronic illnesses, thereby allowing them to live longer and spend more time doing the things they enjoy with the people they love.

Prediabetes and diabetes can be diagnosed with a simple test – A1C. Unlike a traditional blood glucose test, which measures sugar levels at the time of the reading, an A1C test estimates the average blood glucose levels over the previous two to three months. An A1C result between 5.7 and 6.4 percent may indicate prediabetes, while a reading of 6.5 or higher may qualify as diabetes. Although a blood draw is needed for an A1C test, fasting is not required and results are available within five minutes.

The World Health Organization estimates that if the major risk factors for chronic disease (such as the ones we are targeting) were eliminated, at least 80 percent of all heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes could be prevented.

Novant Health’s initiative is an extension of the “search and rescue” mission we started in 2010 to find patients with undiagnosed diabetes who were admitted to our hospitals for other reasons. Since then, we have diagnosed nearly 6,000 people with diabetes and have helped put them on the path to wellness.

Our new multi-year, community-wide initiative is even more comprehensive and bold. Our goal is to reach more people with risk factors for chronic disease sooner, when there is a better chance of preventing damaging and potentially life-threatening effects.

Visit the community wellness initiative website for screening locations, health tips and more information on what we are doing to create healthier communities