Who’s at Risk for Diabetes?

We all are.

• Each year in the U.S.,nearly 2 million adults are diagnosed with diabetes.
• Almost 20 thousand children and youth are newly diagnosed annually.
• 1 in 3 diabetics don’t even know they have diabetes.

Don’t like those numbers? The fact is that while there are often no symptoms, diabetes often leads to life-threatening complications including:

• Heart disease & stroke
• Kidney failure
• Nerve damage & blindness

When it’s diagnosed early, diabetes can usually be managed. And a prediabetic condition can be controlled to delay or avoid the onset of diabetes entirely.

It’s easy and inexpensive to see where you stand.

“But I feel fine!”

Most diabetics do, living symptom-free until the disease has taken a serious toll.
Diabetes is caused by having high levels of glucose, a type of sugar, in the blood. This is known as hyperglycemia.

The most common form of diabetes is type 2, which can usually be controlled through diet, exercise and monitoring.

You are at risk for type 2 diabetes if you:

• Are Overweight – The best predictor of type 2 diabetes is being obese or overweight.
• Are Over 45 – Getting older puts you at increased risk, especially if you’re overweight or have other risk factors.
• Have High Blood Pressure – Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor.
• Have Cholesterol & Triglyceride Problems – Low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol and high triglyceride levels increase your risk.
• Are Inactive – Exercising less than 3 times a week makes you more likely to develop the disease.
• Have The Disease in Your Family – If a parent, brother or sister has type 2 your risk is significantly increased.
• Are Latino, African-American, Native American or Asian-American – Diabetes occurs far more often in these ethnic populations, as well as in Pacific Islanders and Alaska natives.