Project seeks to raise diabetes awareness

PRINCETON, N.J., May 7 (UPI) -- A coalition of U.S. advocacy and business organizations has announced a project to increase awareness of diabetes risk factors.

The National Changing Diabetes Program -- created by Novo Nordisk Inc., a diabetes pharmaceutical company -- sets a 2015 goal to make 45 percent of adults who are at-risk for type 2 diabetes aware of their blood glucose level and knowledgeable about what actions to take. Currently only 17 percent know their blood glucose level, officials said.

"People at-risk for diabetes must know their blood glucose levels the way they do their cholesterol levels," said former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who helped kick off the initiative. "Setting this goal encourages everyone -- government, industry, communities and individuals -- to take actions that prevent diabetes and its complications."

Supporting organizations include the American Diabetes Association, the Food Marketing Institute, the National Business Coalition on Health and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.