{"id":17683,"date":"2026-03-11T12:37:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T16:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=17683"},"modified":"2026-03-11T12:37:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T16:37:21","slug":"the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-promotes-diabetes-prevention-during-national-kidney-month","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-promotes-diabetes-prevention-during-national-kidney-month\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Promotes Diabetes Prevention During National Kidney Month"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>March 11, 2026<br \/>\n<strong>Media Contact:<\/strong> Dr. Zelalem Attlee, <u><a href=\"mailto:Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov\">Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Protect Your Body\u2019s Engine<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>The Rappahannock-Rapidan<\/em> <em>Health District Promotes Diabetes Prevention During National Kidney Month<\/em><\/p>\n<p>WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 If you think about your body as a car, your kidneys would be your oil filter and fuel pump combined. Just as a car needs clean oil to keep the engine from seizing up, your body needs the kidneys to constantly clean your blood. They remove waste and toxins, so your other organs run smoothly. Kidneys also maintain the right fluid balance and pressure so blood flows properly. Diabetes is like putting the wrong fuel in your car year after year. Eventually the damage catches up to you.<\/p>\n<p>March is National Kidney Month, and the Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District is reminding residents that preventing diabetes is one of the most important things you can do to protect your kidney health.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour kidneys are essential to keeping your body running strong, and preventing diabetes is one of the best ways to protect them,\u201d said Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Director J. Carr, M.D. \u201cDuring National Kidney Month, we encourage everyone to take small steps, like healthy eating, staying active, and regular checkups, to keep their body\u2019s engine running for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District, 9.8-11.8% of adults have been<u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/data\/chronic-disease-in-virginia\/prevalence\/\"> diagnosed with diabetes<\/a><\/u>. One in four Virginians has <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2016\/11\/DiabetesVa.pdf\">diabetes<\/a><\/u>\u00a0and doesn\u2019t know it. More than two million adults in Virginia have prediabetes.<\/p>\n<p>The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District aims to educate and support individuals with diabetes, prediabetes and their families through a variety of programs and partnerships.<\/p>\n<p>You can also click to find a <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/diabetes\/prediabetes-and-diabetes-self-management-classes\/\">Diabetes Prevention Program or Diabetes Self-Management<\/a><\/u> class near you.<\/p>\n<p>These programs often focus on weight loss and activity, which lowers blood pressure. Like preventing your car from overheating, lowering your blood pressure will prevent the lines from bursting and causing permanent kidney damage.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t wait for a warning light. Schedule your annual exam with your healthcare provider today. Take the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/doihaveprediabetes.org\/\">risk test<\/a><\/u>\u00a0and protect your engine for the long haul.<\/p>\n<p>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District is here to make your ride as smooth as possible. If you have questions, contact us at <u><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rrhd.org\">www.rrhd.org<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"># # #<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>March 11, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. Protect Your Body\u2019s Engine The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Promotes Diabetes Prevention During National Kidney Month WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 If you think about your body as a car, your kidneys would be your oil filter and fuel pump combined. Just as a car needs clean oil to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":444,"featured_media":0,"parent":16853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[698,127,1579],"class_list":["post-17683","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-blood-pressure","tag-diabetes","tag-kidney"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Promotes Diabetes Prevention During National Kidney Month - Newsroom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-promotes-diabetes-prevention-during-national-kidney-month\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Promotes Diabetes Prevention During National Kidney Month - Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"March 11, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. Protect Your Body\u2019s Engine The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Promotes Diabetes Prevention During National Kidney Month WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 If you think about your body as a car, your kidneys would be your oil filter and fuel pump combined. 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