Red Cross to offer free diabetes testing with March blood donations

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - The American Red Cross will be providing free diabetes testing for blood donors through the month of March.

According to the Red Cross, nearly one-third of people lack access to regular primary care. To combat the lack of access to free diabetes screening and encourage folks to get tested, they are offering free A1C testing for those who donate blood in March. “Any chance we can give donors access to additional information to manage what they may or may not even know is a health condition can help in the long run,” said Kelly Isenor with the Red Cross.

Isenor told us there is now an extra need for blood donations in Massachusetts because of the impact of winter storms. “When there already is this constant need or blood drives need to be canceled, or donates, it’s not safe to leave their house, so they cancel their appointments,” she explained.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that nearly one-in-10 people are affected by diabetes and nearly a quarter of them have gone undiagnosed. Dr. Robert Baldor, chair of family medicine at Baystate Health, explained the importance of taking advantage of the free A1C testing. “It’s possible you might find out you’re in that prediabetes stage where you’re not having any symptoms and which it would be easy to make some lifestyle changes,” he said.

Some of those symptoms include an increased thirst and appetite, blurred vision, and gingivitis. Diabetes is manageable with the right treatment, such as avoiding sugars and exercising daily, but Baldor said you can become pretty sick if left untreated and develop kidney disease or at risk for a heart attack and stroke. “It’s the number one cause of blindness in this country. When people have amputations, they lose toes or feet. It’s the number one cause of amputation,” he explained.

If your test results point to you possibly being prediabetic or diabetic at your screening, you should follow up with your health care provider.