Posted on Mar 18, 2016
1 in 4 Americans are at risk for diabetes- are you one of them? Diabetes is a serious disease. Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States live with it. More than a quarter of them don’t even know they have it and aren’t getting the medical care they need.
It’s estimated that another 86 million people have prediabetes, which puts them at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes have blood glucose (sugar) higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. As you get older, your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke goes up. There's nothing you can do about getting older, but you can take steps to eat healthy, stay active and manage your weight.
This year, the American Diabetes Association Alert Day will be held March 22, 2016. This one-day "wake-up call" asks the public to take the Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Risk factors include:
By understanding your risk, you can take the necessary steps to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
You can learn more about how to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes through the CheckUp America program and speaking with your physician.