It’s only few weeks into 2019; it’s not too late to start on the path to a happier, healthier life. But knowing and understanding how to really put that health goal into practice can be hard, particularly for people with type 2 diabetes.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “Prevent Type 2” diabetes program is a new offering through Ascension St Mary’s Hospital.  The program is designed to offer a supportive group learning atmosphere for people who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

An informational session on this new free program will be held Monday, Jan. 28, at 5 p.m. in the second floor conference room at Ascension St. Mary’s, located at 2251 North Shore Drive, Rhinelander.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is a chronic condition in which your blood sugar level is higher than normal. If not properly treated, it can lead to heart disease, blindness and kidney failure. Type 2 diabetes affects more than 28 million Americans, according to the CDC.

In Wisconsin, the Department of Health Services estimates that 8 percent of Wisconsin adults have diabetes while another 28 percent have diabetes but don’t know it. Another 37 percent of Wisconsin adults have pre-diabetes.

“Changes in diet and exercise can lead to significant weight loss and improved diabetes control, but the benefits of starting healthy habits don’t stop there,” said Carley Reynolds, RN, certified diabetes educator at Ascension St. Mary’s. “In some cases, type 2 diabetes patients may be able to lower their risk and even stop medications for diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol after implementation of a healthier lifestyle.”

The free Prevent Type 2 Information session at Ascension St. Mary’s is open to anyone in the community and will feature a pre-diabetes risk assessment, help from Certified Diabetes Educators to interpret risk levels and provide additional details about the program.

“This program is especially targeted for people who have a family history of diabetes, have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, borderline diabetes, impaired fasting glucose or gestational diabetes, said Hope Williams, MPH, RD, certified diabetes educator at Ascension St. Mary’s. “It also is a good fit for people over the age of 45 with other risk factors such as being overweight or having an inactive lifestyle.”

For more information on the new Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Program at Ascension St. Mary’s Hospital, contact Williams at 715-361-4366.