Contact Health Plus to learn about VUMC's Diabetes Prevention Program! The program is offered remotely and in person!
VUMC's Diabetes Prevention Program has demonstrated its effectiveness at helping employees lose weight as a means of preventing Type 2 diabetes and has received a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand the program using telehealth. Read the VUMC Reporter article, Telehealth grant boosts diabetes prevention efforts, to learn more.
Diabetes is an epidemic that is significantly affecting the health and future of the U.S.
- 1 in 10 U.S. adults has diabetes, and if trends continue, 1 in 5 will have it by 2025.
- An additional 86 million U.S. adults - 1 in 3 - have prediabetes, which means their blood sugar is higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. Without intervention, many people with prediabetes could develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years, which puts them at risk of serious health problems.
- With numbers like that, it's important to learn about prediabetes and take action.
Health Plus is now offering the National Diabetes Prevention Program to VUMC faculty and staff and spouses who have prediabetes or are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program is a one year lifestyle change program led by a trained lifestyle coach. During the first 6-months of the program, meetings are about once a week. During the second 6 months, meetings are once or twice a month. The curriculum is based on research that found people with prediabetes can cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes in half by losing 5%-7% of their body weight, improving food choices, and increasing physical activity to at least 150 minutes per week.
Learn more:
If you have a Body Mass Index of 25 or higher (23 or higher if you are of Asian descent) and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, then you may be eligible to participate in the lifestyle change program.
You can determine your risk by:
- Taking the "Prediabetes Risk Test".
- Having a blood test to measure your blood glucose conducted by a health care professional.
- Fasting glucose test. This measures blood glucose in people who have not eaten anything for at least eight hours. Fasting glucose levels of 100 to 125 mg/dL are diagnostic of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), also called prediabetes. People with IFG often have had insulin resistance for some time and are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
- Glucose tolerance test. This test measures blood glucose after people fast for at least eight hours, and two hours after they drink a sweet liquid provided by a doctor or laboratory. A blood glucose level between 140 and 199 mg/dL is called impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) also called prediabetes. Like IFG, it points toward a history of insulin resistance and a risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
- Hemoglobin A1c test. This test measures the amount of glucose that is on the red blood cells. Fasting is not necessary. An A1c value of 5.7% to 6.4% indicates prediabetes.
Learn more about the National Diabetes Prevention Program.
For more information on the lifestyle change program for VUMC faculty and staff and spouses, please contact Health Plus at 615-343-8943.
Healthcare provider referral for eligible faculty/staff or spouse:
- VUMC providers use one of these options in eStar.
- Send In Basket message To: "P HEALTH PLUS CLINICAL"
- Use Ambulatory Referral order "Ambulatory referral to Health Plus" or "REF407"
- Other providers use this form.
The Health Plus Diabetes Prevention Program receives funding under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee.
