Diabetes Awareness – Wake Up Call

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems, such as heart disease, nerve damage, eye problems, and kidney disease. You can take steps to prevent diabetes or manage it.

An estimated 30.3 million people in the United States, or 9.4 percent of the population, have diabetes. About one in four people with diabetes don’t know they have the disease. An estimated 84.1 million Americans aged 18 years or older have prediabetes.

We all need a “wake-up call” that focuses on the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of understanding your risk. We encourage you to find out if you – or someone you love – is at risk for type 2 diabetes by taking this quick and simple Diabetes Risk Test.

Did You Know?

  • Diabetes affects about 30.3 million Americans or about 9.4 percent of the U.S. population.
  • Nearly 1 in 4 adults living with diabetes, or 7.2 million Americans, are unaware that they have the disease.
  • Another 84 million Americans have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
  • Nine out of 10 adults with prediabetes don’t know they have it.

Understand Your Risk

The sooner you know you’re at risk, the sooner you can take steps to prevent or manage diabetes. If you have a family history of diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes. You are also more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are over age 45, are overweight, or are not physically active.