Diabetes Prevention

Tools and Resources

Diabetes remains one of Mississippi’s fastest-growing and most costly diseases. Mississippi has the third highest rate of diabetes at 13.6% in the country. According to the CDC, 30.3 million Americans have diabetes and another 84 million have prediabetes. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, costing $245 billion in medical expenses and lost productivity annually.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1 out of 3 U.S. adults—or nearly 84 million—have prediabetes, and of those, 90 percent don’t know they have it. Fortunately, prediabetes can be reversed, and the sooner patients find out they have prediabetes, the better their chances of preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes. The National Diabetes Prevention Program is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recognized evidence-based lifestyle change program for persons with prediabetes that has been demonstrated to prevent or delay the development of diabetes.

The Mississippi State Medical Association (MSMA) has partnered with the American Medical Association (AMA), with guidance and support from the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), to raise awareness of prediabetes resources, help providers connect their patients to CDC-recognized Diabetes Prevention Programs, and allow patients to take charge of their health.

AMA and the CDC have created Prevent Diabetes STAT (Screen / Test / Act Today), a toolkit to help health care providers identify, engage and test patients at risk for prediabetes and refer patients with prediabetes to CDC Recognized Diabetes Prevention Programs. CDC-recognized diabetes prevention lifestyle change programs connect patients who are at risk for Type 2 diabetes with trained lifestyle coaches and group support to make long-term commitments to eating healthier, reducing stress and getting more physical activity to achieve lasting results. More information on AMA’s Prevent Diabetes STAT, including a download of the complete toolkit, may be found here.

Click here to find a CDC-Recognized Diabetes Prevention Program near you.