CHENANGO COUNTY – The theme this year for National Diabetes Month is “Take Diabetes to Heart: Linking Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease.”

According to Chenango County Department of Health officials, this month’s designation is meant to help raise awareness that having diabetes means you are more likely to develop heart disease. Over time, high blood glucose from diabetes can damage your heart.

Officials said adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke as people without diabetes. Small changes to your daily eating or drinking habits can make a positive difference to your health and decrease these risks.

Heart Disease is the number one cause of premature death in Chenango County, ranking #1 in NY State.

40 percent of adults living in Chenango County are obese.

Chenango County ranks #4 for its rate of hospitalization with diabetes as the primary diagnosis. 35 percent of our residents suffer from high blood pressure. These numbers tell us that we have a lot of work to do to achieve better health.