For Florida the Alliance for Diabetes Prevention and Care, the Diabetes Advisory Council, and the Department of Health has the following two goals:
- Increase the diagnosed prediabetes rate from 1.2% to 10% by December 31, 2013.
- Increase by 5% the number of persons with diabetes who receive diabetes self- management education (DSME).
Diabetes increases with aging and many seniors have diabetes and do not know it. Significant reduction in complications, cost, and suffering will result if patients are able to delay the onset and or decrease complications of Type 2 diabetes. Early recognition and treatment with lifestyle changes and medications when needed will accomplish this.
Fortunately Medicare now pays for screening at risk patients. At risk patients are those with one or more of the following: overweight, not active, have a family history of diabetes, have elevated triglycerides and or low HDL, hypertension or a history of gestational diabetes screen them for diabetes.
Fasting and 2-hour post meal glucose are two good options. An A1C is now recommended for screening by the International Federation of Diabetes. The ADA will soon be recommending this.
