HJAR Nov/Dec 2025

34 NOV / DEC 2025 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS ADH CORNER COLUMN ADH CORNER DIABETES is a chronic health condition that affects how a person’s body turns food into energy. Type 1 is usually diagnosed in chil- dren and young adults and is caused by an autoimmune reaction that suddenly keeps a person’s body from producing the insulin it needs. The focus of this column is on type 2, which usually develops over many years. In this case, a person’s body makes insulin, but their body is not able to use it well. As a result, they cannot keep their blood sugar at normal levels. Diabetes is one of the most pressing chronic diseases facingArkansans. The num- ber of adults diagnosed with diabetes has increased since 2000. According to 2023 data from Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention (CDC), more than 345,000 people in Arkansas aged 18 years and older have been diagnosed with diabetes, which is about 13% of the adult population in our state. This to- tal does not include those adults who have diabetes but are unaware of it. Most of the adults in Arkansas who have a diagnosis of diabetes are between the ages of 45 and 64 (143,000), female (175,500), non-Hispanic white (219,000), and have not completed education beyond high school (192,000). 1 The number of people with type 2 diabe- tes is rising at epidemic proportions in the United States 2 and is a national concern, es- pecially for aging adults. However, rates are also increasing among adolescents, andmore women are getting gestational diabetes dur- ing pregnancy. Without intervention, half of these women go on to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later in life. Type 2 diabetes has a large number of potentially serious complications that de- crease a person’s quality of life, not to men- tion their length of life. These complications include heart disease, stroke, dementia, kid- ney failure, and leg amputations. Therefore, the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes makes engagement in lifestyle interventions and early clinical care to prevent andmanage diabetes even more important. Patient Engagement in Clinical Care Today, hemoglobinA1C testing is the gold standard for diagnosis. A reading of 6.5% or higher signals diabetes, while 5.7% to 6.4% is considered prediabetes — a stage where timely intervention can make a tremendous difference. This is the window of opportunity where prevention truly matters. The Arkansas Department of Health’s (ADH) Diabetes Prevention and Control Pro- gram is encouraging healthcare profession- als to share the “Do I Have Prediabetes Risk Test”with their patients. This online screening tool, offered in English and Spanish, helps patients learn if they are at increased risk for prediabetes and provides steps they can take to reverse prediabetes. The test takes a minute to complete and is available at: https://doihaveprediabetes.org/ take-the-risk-test/ In recent years, there have been remark- able advances in clinical care for patients living with diabetes. The “Standards of Care in Diabetes” from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 3 is an excellent tool for helping busy clinicians stay up-to-date with the current recommendations for providing optimal clinical care to their patients with diabetes. Recent updates to this resource for clinicians include: • Expanded guidance on interpretingA1C and glucose values, helping providers ensure accuracy. • Clarified classifications to support pa- tients with overlapping features of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. • Recommendations for antibody-based screening for people with a family his- tory or genetic risk of type 1 diabetes. • Revised diagnostic guidelines for gesta- tional diabetes to provide more consis- tent approaches across clinical settings. Technology is also making a difference for patients in the management of their diabetes, especially in monitoring their blood sugar, also known as glucose monitoring. RapidA1C tests, continuous glucose monitors, and less painful needles allow faster results and easier patient engagement. In addition to improv- ing accuracy, these advances help reduce the anxiety and discomfort patients feel around routine testing. Eligible women with gesta- tional diabetes can now get glucose monitors at no cost through the state’s Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act. These technological ad- vances are helpful to many patients, yet they are not available to everyone. Regardless of whether they have access to new technology, people struggle with stay- ing engaged in managing their diabetes on a daily basis. Fortunately, there are interven- tions that can help them. Arkansas healthcare providers are uniquely positioned to connect their patients living with diabetes or predi- abetes to programs that can support them outside the clinic walls. Type 2 Diabetes in Arkansas: Clinical Care and Public Health Working Together