COLUMBIA, S.C. — Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in South Carolina and over half a million South Carolinians are estimated to have diabetes, according to the latest data from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
"I tell my patients all the time, diabetes is a disease of the diet," said Dr. Jaqui Jones with Prisma Health. She suggests limiting processed foods, exercising, and eating healthier foods, like vegetables and lean meats to avoid type two diabetes.
"I have diagnosed patients in my clinic as young as 21, 22 years old, which is so young. It’s too young to have type 2 diabetes, but it is happening," Jones said.
Diabetes is especially prevalent in South Carolina.
In 2018, the Palmetto State ranked 8th in diabetes deaths in the nation, according to DHEC. Over 1,500 South Carolinians died from the disease that year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says someone with diabetes is more likely to have a severe case of COVID-19.
"[if you have diabetes] you’re already chronically inflamed, you’re already at risk of other things, your immune system is not as optimal as we want it to be. So, something that comes along like COVID, which is already hard and new to treat, you have an increased risk of poor outcome," Dr. Jones explained.
This year, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina started an initiative called Diabetes Free SC, which is dedicated to improving health outcomes for people in South Carolina who have diabetes.
Dr. Timothy Lyons, director of the initiative, said, "it’s not something which is directed at insured lives of BlueCross, it’s for a whole population of South Carolina with a big emphasis on people who are disadvantaged and people who live in underserved rural areas and of course health disparities."
Dr. Lyons said they fund programs that help reduce the risks of diabetes in children, pregnant women and adults. They’ve invested nearly 12 million dollars so far in diabetes prevention.
If someone is at risk for diabetes, Dr. Jones says the first step is to go to the doctor and get tested.