Diabetes Alert Day is March 23, 2021

FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE  AND KISNEY DISEASES

American Diabetes Association Diabetes Alert Day^® is on March 23, 2021! Observed annually on the fourth Tuesday in March, Diabetes Alert Day is a one-day “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 34.2 million Americans or about 10.5 percent of the U.S. population.
• Nearly 1 in 5 adults living with diabetes, or 7.3 million Americans, are unaware that they have the disease.
• Approximately 88 million people aged 18 years or older have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
• More than 84 percent of people living with prediabetes don’t know they have it.
• About 50 percent of women with gestational diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that women develop when they are pregnant.

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.