Baton Rouge General (BRG) announced that the organization is partnering with the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) to pilot a yearlong diabetes prevention program to assist people at risk for diabetes.
Consistently ranked in the top 10 states with the most people with type 2 diabetes, Louisiana’s diagnoses of the adult-onset disease continue to trend upward.
Twelve at-risk Baton Rougeans are participating in BRG’s diabetes prevention program pilot class, consisting of 26 group sessions that focus on proper nutrition, physical fitness, and stress management. Throughout the year, participants meet on BRG’s Bluebonnet campus and receive support from a lifestyle coach, insight from physician guest speakers, and tips from the hospital’s dietitians and fitness team.
Family Medicine Specialist Dr. Wayne Gravois with Baton Rouge General Physicians – Family Health Center medically supervises the program. “Whether you’ve already been diagnosed with prediabetes or are concerned that this diagnosis is in your future, making changes now can help you avoid some of its scary complications like kidney damage, vision loss, and heart disease,” said Dr. Gravois. “A year might seem like a long commitment, but a lifetime of managing an irreversible disease is even longer.”
The CDC requires that participants be at least 18 years old, have a body mass index above 25, have no previous diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and have tested in the pre-diabetic range within the past year. Although BRG’s initial class is full, contact Rachel Punch at (225) 819-1177 or Rachel.Punch@brgeneral.org to join a waiting list for future classes.
For more information on the accredited diabetes education program that BRG established in 2013, visit BRGeneral.org/service/wellness/diabetes-education.