Do you have a family history of diabetes?
Are you worried that your diet and activity levels are putting you at risk of developing diabetes?
Or, are you just concerned about the growing number of Canadians being diagnosed with diabetes and want to make sure you aren’t the next?
Diabetes is a chronic disease that results from the body’s inability to sufficiently produce and/or properly use insulin, a hormone that regulates the way glucose (sugar) is stored and used in the body. Diabetes affects roughly two and a half million Canadians. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to many serious complications, including: heart disease, kidney disease, vision loss, and lower limb amputation. Although diabetes can lead to serious complications and premature death, there are steps that can be taken to prevent or control the disease and lower the risk of complications.
If you are concerned about diabetes, you can take a self assessment test and bring it in to Stafford Pharmacy where one of our pharmacists can help you understand your risk!
The CANRISK screening tool developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada is a great tool that can help to identify those at risk of diabetes. Pre-diabetes occurs when blood glucose (sugar) levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. Glucose is the main sugar found in the blood and the body’s main source of energy. If left untreated, more than half of the people with pre-diabetes will have type 2 diabetes within 8 to 10 years.Pre-diabetes can be prevented, and is most common in people over the age of 40 and in people who are overweight. Pre-diabetes can be managed, or in some cases reversed, through healthy lifestyle choices. Early detection and identification of those at risk may allow us to prevent the development of diabetes!!!
For a screening tool that you can print and fill out click here:
http://www.pharmacists.ca/cpha-ca/assets/File/education-practice-resources/DiabetesCANRISKstandardEN.pdf
For an interactive screening tool that you can fill out online and then print click here:
http://www.pharmacists.ca/cpha-ca/assets/File/education-practice-resources/DiabetesCANRISKinteractiveEN.pdf
