The Fayette County Diabetes Coalition is hosting a community-wide diabetes expo this Saturday. It’s the first expansive type of event held in Lexington.
More than 30 exhibits, all from different health providers that touch on diabetes, will participate in the expo. Nancy Hiner is a diabetes care and education specialist with the Fayette County Health Department. She said there are straightforward steps to take to try to prevent the onset of diabetes.
“Learning about healthy eating habits and exercise and how weight loss can play an enormous role in preventing the development of type two diabetes,” said Hiner.
The rate of diabetes in Kentucky stands at about 14% with 34% of the population in the pre-diabetes category. While there are many adverse health impacts of diabetes, Hiner said heart attack and stroke are the most significant.
“That kind of thing is what we really, really try hard to prevent. So, we spend a lot of our education programs on teaching about heart health and how that needs to be combined with healthy eating for diabetes. So, that’s a big one,” said Hiner.
Other health problems include kidney issues, blindness, and amputations that can come from diabetes. Exhibits at the expo will include information on insulin pumps and glucose monitoring as well as lots of screenings. The expo runs from 10:00 to 1:00 Saturday at the Fayette County Extension Office off Red Mile Road.
The diabetes expo runs Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Fayette County Extension Office off Red Mile Road.
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