Connecticut Hospital initiates food prescription programme to tackle prediabetes epidemic

In the U.S., the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that over 98 million adults are prediabetic, but a staggering 80% remain unaware. To address this, Hartford Healthcare Group (HHC) in Connecticut is expanding access to diabetes-preventing foods. Dr. Egils Bogdanovics of Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, part of HHC, warns about the dire implications of the obesity epidemic, citing one in three children being susceptible to diabetes. Prediabetes, denoted by a fasting blood sugar level between 100 and 125 mg/dL, is a precursor to type 2 diabetes and heightens the risk of heart disease. The hospital’s “Food as Medicine” initiative allows doctors to prescribe fresh produce to patients, especially targeting areas with limited access to healthy food. Endocrinologists emphasise the need for early diagnosis via tools like the CDC’s Prediabetes Quiz to implement crucial lifestyle changes.

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