Prediabetes or Type 2 Diabetes Support

If you need help preventing or managing your Type 2 Diabetes, turn to California Hospital Medical Center.

Prediabetes

1 out of 3 adults have prediabetes; however, 9 out of 10 people with prediabetes don’t know they have it.  A person with prediabetes has a blood sugar level higher than normal (HbA1c 5.7-6.4%), but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes (HbA1c > 6.5%).  Prediabetes increases your risk of: type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.  A person with the following risk factors is more likely to develop prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: age, especially 45 years of age and older; being overweight or obese; a family history of diabetes; being a person of color; a history of diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes) or having given birth to a baby weighing nine pounds or more; and being physically active less than three times a week.

The good news is that if you have prediabetes,  losing weight by eating healthy and being more active can cut your risk of getting type 2 diabetes in half! Without weight loss and moderate physical activity, 15-30% of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes  within 5 years. People who have diabetes are at higher risk of serious health complications: blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, loss of toes, feet, or legs, and periodontal (gum) disease.

Diabetes Education Empowerment Program (DEEP)

DEEP is an evidence-based, diabetes self-management program created by the Midwest Latino Health Research, Training, and Policy Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was developed to provide community members with the tools to better manage their diabetes in order to reduce complications and lead healthier, longer lives.  It is offered as weekly 2-hour workshops over 6 consecutive weeks.  The curriculum covers: diabetes risk factors, complications, nutrition,  physical activity, use of the glucose meter and medications, building partnerships with your diabetes health care team, psychosocial effects of illness, problem-solving strategies, how to access community diabetes resources, and tobacco control tools.  Workshops are available in English, Spanish, and Korean.  The DEEP program goals are for each participant to:

  • Increase knowledge of diabetes
  • Increase self-management skills
  • Better manage psychosocial issues
  • Reduce HbA1c and weight
  • Make short- and long-term behavioral changes.

Who is eligible for DEEP?  Anyone with prediabetes or  type 2 diabetes

For more information, please contact:

Barbara Gonzalez, MPH
Manager, Community Health
(213) 742-5553