On Saturday, July 26, Peninsula College nursing students will join volunteers and staff from the Volunteers in Medicine of the Olympics free clinic to provide free screening for diabetes risk at the Port Angeles Farmers Market.

Diabetes is a dangerous disease. If untreated, it can cause heart disease, stroke, blindness and kidney problems. It can lead to foot and leg amputations, and even death. Diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be controlled.

The event consists of a simple questionnaire developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Janet Oja, lead VIMO diabetes nurse educator, will provide finger-stick blood sugar testing for persons who have a high score on the CDC screener.

Persons found to be at high risk for diabetes will be referred to their health care provider for follow-up or VIMO, if the individual does not have a health care provider. Event organizers hope that screening efforts will boost the number of people who are aware that they are at high risk for diabetes (or even have diabetes) and who talk to their health care provider to find out what they can do about it. The Port Angeles Farmers Market is open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Saturday and is at the Gateway Pavilion in downtown Port Angeles.

For more information about the July 26 diabetes risk screening, contact Zoe Apisdorf, VIMO development coordinator, at 457-4431.