NM needs to detect diabetes earlier

As a medical scribe and population health student, I have become increasingly more aware of the grips Type 2 diabetes has on our society. Diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by elevated levels of blood sugar. There are two types of diabetes, Type 1, an autoimmune disorder, and Type 2, which often develops over several years of insulin resistance. Overweight individuals are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes, slightly elevated blood glucose levels, puts these individuals at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. We know a great deal about how to prevent and treat Type 2 diabetes, yet the number of people living with diabetes has greatly increased with time. According to the CDC, 37 million Americans have diabetes and approximately 90-95% of them have Type 2 diabetes.

The economic impact of diabetes is astronomical, costing New Mexico an estimated $2 billion and the United States $327 billion annually. … Looking at this issue simply through an economic lens, it is clear we must create a sustainable approach to preventing diabetes in the future.

The N.M. Department of Health put forward the New Mexico Diabetes Prevention Action Plan for health care and community organizations, which focuses on awareness, referrals, education and access for individuals who are prediabetic or have diabetes. Additionally, our state provides a year-long National Diabetes Prevention Program for those that are prediabetic or at risk of developing diabetes. An estimated 34% of New Mexicans have prediabetes, yet only 3 in 10 adults are aware of their condition. It is estimated 15-30% of those adults will develop Type 2 diabetes within five years without intervention. But current approaches are aimed at those who already know they are prediabetic, have a known risk to develop diabetes, or already have diabetes.

… With the difficulties associated with accessing (and affording) health care in New Mexico, it is no wonder so many New Mexicans aren’t aware of their prediabetic status. … I urge N.M.’s leaders to implement programs across the state that provide year-round testing to diagnose prediabetes at no cost to New Mexican residents. Individuals being tested at these sites could then use the prevention and management programs already provided by the state. … The time for greater action regarding diabetes in New Mexico is now.