November is Diabetes Awareness Month and the New Mexico Department of Health is encouraging everyone to know their risk factors and take action. KC Counts talked about this with Lindsey Goodhue, diabetes and cardiovascular section director with NMDOH. Here's a transcript of their conversation:
KC Counts:
How long have you been working with diabetes patients?
Lindsey Goodhue:
So, I've been working with the diabetes program for about a year and a half now when I stepped into this role as the section director. Prior to that, my experience was in heart disease here with the state; and in my former life, before I was in public health, I actually worked for 10 years at Presbyterian Hospital here in Albuquerque as a pharmacy technician. So, I got to see the other side of all of this work that we're doing.
KC Counts:
What led you to move into this specific area of public health?
Lindsey Goodhue:
So, what I found when I was working in the hospital is I saw so many people that, you know, we're seeing the effects of not having access to those prevention programs and that early care and they were in the hospital we're really struggling and I just, I wanted to be on this side. I wanted to help people access care and I wanted to help people with those lifestyle changes. And I just really, I have a love for chronic disease prevention. I have some family members that have dealt with different chronic diseases, heart disease, diabetes, and I've seen how, honestly, some of the programs that we even offer have benefited them.
KC Counts:
So, let's talk a little bit about how the population in our region is impacted by diabetes; and why is it so prevalent here?
Lindsey Goodhue:
Absolutely. So, there's so many reasons that it's prevalent, but down south, you know, we see a lot of rates of diabetes. We actually have, in the state of New Mexico, with prediabetes, which of course is the precursor to diabetes, nearly one in five individuals have pre-diabetes. And what's really kind of interesting about that fact is that over 8 out of every 10 people in our state and in the country who have pre-diabetes don't even know they have it. And so, it's just really, it's scary, but it's hopeful because it's such an easy diagnosis to find. And then once you know you have it, there's so much you can do to prevent diabetes.
KC Counts:
I'm trying to math, but that really does sound staggering. So one in five people is pre-diabetic and eight out of 10 of them don't know it. And that's just because they're not getting their regular health checkups?
Lindsey Goodhue:
It's that, but it's more so that people sometimes don't know that they're at risk. So, when you're younger and maybe not in that age range that your doctor would automatically want to test your blood sugar, you won't get that. And so we have a really cool risk test that we have through CDC that if you fill out, it's very simple, just a few questions. You can take it online or you can print it off and do it on paper. And that risk test will tell you if you're at a heightened risk for developing prediabetes or diabetes. And then that's when you can ask your doctor the next time you go in, just say, “hey, I would really like to have my blood sugar tested.”
KC Counts:
Who should be getting their blood sugar tested?
Lindsey Goodhue:
Everyone, everyone should be. So, some of the risk factors for diabetes, of course, is if you have a family history. So, if you have a mother or father or even a brother or sister who have had diabetes, then that means there's a better chance that you may have it as well. So, you may want to get tested. If you're over 45, your risk does increase as well as if you're physically active less than three days a week, it does put you at an increased risk. So that's when you really want to try to get tested.
KC Counts:
Yeah, and it's also the week of Thanksgiving. And so it is that time of year. And it can be a real challenge. So let's talk a little bit about things to keep in mind as we move into this kind of time when there's so many tempting things around us.
Lindsey Goodhue:
Well, I think one of the things to remember is everything in moderation. You know, it's okay to have a little bite of pumpkin pie, but we don't need to have the two to three pieces that I know I would love to have on Thanksgiving. And just trying to find ways in this holiday season where it's busy, we're more stressed out to find ways to get active, even something as simple as say taking that pre-Thanksgiving dinner walk around the neighborhood. Anything like that helps us prepare and helps us reduce our chances of developing diabetes.
KC Counts:
So, tell me a little bit in a nutshell about some of the ways the New Mexico Department of Health is addressing this issue and how people can find more information about programs available.
Lindsey Goodhue:
Absolutely. We have lots of free programs that are offered both in-person around the state and online in a virtual setting for people at risk for diabetes, as well as those who have been diagnosed with diabetes and want to know how to manage their disease. So, we have some really wonderful programs through our paths to health website, which is pathstohealthnm.org. And on that website you can find lots of information about our diabetes self-monitoring programs, some of our chronic disease self-monitoring programs. Our Kitchen Creations course, which my mom personally took and loved. It's a four-week course that teaches hands-on how to cook and prepare meals that are friendly for diabetics, and they teach how to take some of your favorite foods and maybe make some small little tweaks and make them a little more friendly for diabetes. We also have our National Diabetes Prevention Program, which is wonderful for somebody who may be at risk for diabetes or has been told they have pre-diabetes. So, we have those all listed on our paths2healthnm.org website. And then we also work with our Southwest Nurse Hotline to reach out and they'll help connect you with a class.
KC Counts:
All right, Lindsay Goodhue, thank you so much for sharing this important information. Have a wonderful week and Happy Thanksgiving.
Lindsey Goodhue:
Thank you so much for having me. Happy Thanksgiving.
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