Santa Fe Standard

SANTA FE – Many people have heard of diabetes but may not know their own risk of developing the disease. The New Mexico Department of Health’s (NMDOH) Diabetes Prevention and Control Program estimates here, in a state of just over two million people, around 255,000 New Mexican adults had diabetes and over 587,000 New Mexican adults had prediabetes in the years 2020 through 2022. Small lifestyle changes can help people delay or avoid diabetes or prediabetes and it begins with knowing your risks. NMDOH joins the American Diabetes Association in recognizing Tuesday, March 26 as Diabetes Alert Day. This annual health observance encourages New Mexicans and others nationwide to take a quick, free online Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test to learn if they need to take action that could prevent or delay this condition. A link to the test can be found on the NMDOH diabetes program’s webpage, Paths to Health NM: Tools for Healthier Living.

"I am among many New Mexicans managing Type 2 diabetes," said Department of Health Sec. Patrick Allen. “It is a life-changing experience that requires being constantly aware of how you feel, what you eat, regularly monitoring your blood sugar and more. One quick list of questions answered privately online can let you know your risk and possibly avoid becoming diabetic altogether.”

Preventative tips are provided for everyone who takes the test, including encouraging those at high risk to talk with their healthcare provider.

“Diabetes is a disease that can develop when your blood sugar is too high,” explains Christine Brown, Diabetes Prevention and Control Program Outreach and Education Manager. “With time but no effort to try to prevent it, uncontrolled blood sugar causes other health problems, such as heart disease, nerve damage, eye problems, and kidney disease.”

Family history of diabetes, race/ethnicity, higher body weight, increasing age, smoking, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, and a history of gestational diabetes are all risk factors. Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. Prediabetes can often be reversed, but without taking any action, many people with prediabetes could develop Type 2 diabetes within 5 years. With Type 2 diabetes, the body cannot properly use insulin, a hormone that helps glucose get into the cells of the body. Losing extra weight, eating a healthy diet, and exercising are important steps towards possibly avoiding diabetes altogether.

NMDOH’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program supports several programs for New Mexicans to prevent and manage prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity. For more information on the program, visit the Paths to Health NM webpage or call (505) 850-0176 or (575) 703-2343.