November Is:
National Diabetes Awareness Month
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Local Impact - Wisconsin

Marion Reynolds, St. Croix Tribal Elder

St. Croix Healthy Heart Program

I was diagnosed with diabetes approximately twenty years ago. I had thought maybe there was a chance I would not get it. My father was not diabetic. My mother was diabetic and passed away at the age of 57 from an abdominal aneurysm.

I have been in the Healthy Heart Program for five years. I wanted to lose some weight and try to get off of some of my medications. Under the guidance of the Healthy Heart staff I started an exercise program and lost weight. My blood sugars have improved and I only take diabetes medicine as needed. I no longer take a cholesterol medicine.

Some of Marion’s accomplishments after 5 years in the SDPI Healthy Heart Program:

• Lost 8% of total body weight,
• Needs diabetes medicine only once or twice per month
• Exercises 5 days a week including weight training 2 times per week
• Makes healthier food choices
• A1C is at goal of under 7

Diabetes in Wisconsin

According to 2008 CDC data, approximately 293,000 people in Wisconsin – 6.5% of the state’s population – had diagnosed diabetes, and many of them suffer from serious diabetes related complications or conditions. In addition to the human toll diabetes places on people in Wisconsin, the financial burden diabetes places on the health system in the state is staggering – in 2007, the direct and indirect cost of diabetes in Wisconsin was approximately $2.99 billion.

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