Diabetes is a serious disease that strikes nearly 21 million people and is the The American Diabetes Risk Test is available in both English and Spanish by …
Contact: Lynn Maples
Communications Project Coordinator
9012732614
lmaples@tnqiosdpsorg
QSource Informs Tennesseans of Important Diabetes Screening Opportunities
MEMPHIS Feb 29, 2008 - An estimated 542,000 adults in Tennessee are
living with diabetes As the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for
Tennessee, QSource is informing Medicare beneficiaries of two free diabetes
screening opportunities - American Diabetes Alert Day and Welcome to
Medicare
Diabetes is a serious disease that strikes nearly 21 million people and is
the fifth leading cause of death by disease in the US It is named the
silent killer because one-third of those with diabetes - more than 6
million - do not know they have it For many, diagnosis may come seven to
10 years after the onset of the disease Therefore, early diagnosis is
critical to successful treatment and delay or prevention of related
complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, stroke,
amputation and premature death
The Welcome to Medicare exam is a covered preventative physical examination
for new beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part B It allows beneficiaries
to get up-to-date on
important screenings and vaccinations as well as talk
to their healthcare provider about their medical history and how to stay
healthy Beneficiaries are eligible for the one-time exam only within their
first six months of Medicare coverage The examination includes height,
weight, blood pressure measurement and eye exam - key screening measures
for diabetes
QSource is encouraging everyone to participate in the 20th annual American
Diabetes Alert Day March 25 Held on the fourth Tuesday of every March, the
one-day event is a wake-up call to inform the public about the
seriousness of diabetes, particularly when it is left undiagnosed or
untreated The American Diabetes Association ADA sponsors the event
QSource partners with the ADA Tennessee chapter
On Diabetes Alert Day, people will be encouraged to take the American
Diabetes Risk Test, either with paper or online The test requires users to
answer seven simple questions about weight, age, lifestyle and
family history - all potential risk factors for diabetes People scoring 10
points or more are at a high risk for Type 2 and are encouraged to see a
doctor Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, is
noninsulin-dependent Type
1 diabetes is insulin-dependent and is usually
first diagnosed in children, teenagers or young adults
People who are overweight, inactive and over the age of 45 should consider
themselves at risk for the disease African Americans, Latinos, Native
Americans and people who have a family history of the disease are at an
increased risk for Type 2 disease
With more than half a million people living with the disease, diabetes is
a major epidemic in Tennessee, especially among minorities, said Roberta
Esmond, QSource community quality improvement specialist Everyone should
take the diabetes risk test and all new Medicare Part B enrollees should
take advantage of the Welcome to Medicare exam, Esmond added
The American Diabetes Risk Test is available in both English and Spanish by
calling 8003422383 or visiting wwwdiabetesorg/alert Although Diabetes
Alert Day is a one-day event, the risk test is available all year long For
more information on the Welcome to Medicare exam, visit
http://wwwcmshhsgov/WelcometoMedicareExam/
This material was prepared by QSource, the Medicare Quality Improvement
Organization for Tennessee, under contract with the
Centers for Medicare
Medicaid Services, an agency of the US Department of Health and Human
Services The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy
Source:ahrq.gov
