Red Cross offering free diabetes screening with blood donations in August
Sam Ross
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Red Cross will provide free A1C diabetes testing to anyone who donates blood through August.
A1C testing can determine the amount of sugar in a person’s blood over the past three months, and the tests are critical in determining whether someone may be living with diabetes or at an increased risk of developing the disease.
American Red Cross representatives said they are offering the free testing service to help address the growing diabetes epidemic and make sure their donors are armed with the tools to seek help if needed.
“We are committed to the health of our donors and to public health, and this is a service we’re providing,” said Matt Ochsner, communications director for the Red Cross of Idaho, Montana, and East Oregon. “According to the CDC, there’s about 8.7 million Americans who have diabetes and don’t realize it; so we will provide this testing, and then the information you get, you can take back to your primary care doctor to see what the path forward is.”
Donors wishing to participate in the testing do not need to donate any extra blood for the test or fast before giving blood.
For more information, and to find a blood donation center or blood drive near you, visit the Red Cross website.