Day-to-day management of diabetes can be confusing and overwhelming. As part of its Comprehensive Approach to Reducing Diabetes (CARD) Program, Knox County Health Department is offering an enhanced series of free diabetes management classes in February. The classes will be held at noon on Thursdays (Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26 and March 5) in the Knox County Health Department auditorium at 140 Dameron Avenue. Additions include free testing, free supplies and drawings for great prizes. Lunch will be provided. These community classes are free and open to the public. Anyone interested should call 865-215-5170 to reserve space.

CARD is funded through an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Health, and provides diabetes management education for individuals diagnosed as pre-diabetic or who have diabetes. Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs) from the Fort Sanders Diabetes Program (part of Covenant Health) will assist Knox County Health Department staff in conducting the diabetes management classes. These management classes will equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to optimally manage their diabetes, including proper diet, medication, stress management and exercise.

According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 17.9 million people nationally diagnosed with diabetes and an estimated 5.7 million people who have the disease but are undiagnosed. In Tennessee, the percentage of adults with diabetes almost doubled between 1996 and 2005, from 5 to 9.1 percent and Tennessee had the sixth highest percentage of diabetic adults compared to all other states. In Knox County, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of premature death in 2005. Knox County Health Department's initiatives through the CARD Program will directly address reducing these rates.

Knox County Health Department is committed to promoting public health practices to safeguard and improve quality of life for all residents. KCHD offers an array of resources, including medical and dental services, family planning, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, air quality management, environmental services, food preparation oversight in public places, smoking cessation, family violence prevention, worksite wellness, nutritional programs and much more. For more information about Knox County Health Department, visit www.knoxcounty.org/health.