November is National Diabetes Month, a time when communities across the country team up to bring attention to diabetes and its impact on millions of Americans.
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough—or any—insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Glucose then stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells.
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 with diabetes, or 7.2 million Americans, are unaware that they have the disease.
- Another 84.1 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.
Ways you can Help
How to Participate
While the everyday of diabetes can seem overwhelming, there are ways we can all help –
and to prevent it from becoming the everyday reality for millions more. Here are some steps you can take:
Take the Risk Test
Diabetes starts with an individual. Then the family, extended family, and friends. We need your help
to make it stop before diabetes is the everyday reality for the 84 million people at risk. Encourage
everyone in your organization and community to take the risk test.
Learn the Facts
We are committed to helping all understand this chronic disease. Help us set the record straight
and educate the world about diabetes and its risk factors by learning the facts about diabetes.
Download and share the most common myths and misconceptions about diabetes.
Become an Advocate
Together we can transform the lives of all people with diabetes. Join us in speaking out for them
and sign up to be an advocate
Donate
The ADA leads the battle against diabetes by funding research for prevention, cure and
management, providing credible information about the disease and giving a voice to the millions
of Americans who are affected by it every day. Join the fight today by donating.
For the diagnosed, diabetes can affect every decision – what to eat, wear, do and other decisions about how they’ll take care of themselves. Yet the 24/7 burden of diabetes management is often misunderstood.
If you want to learn to learn more visit http://www.diabetes.org