Letter to the Editor: It’s serious — today is Diabetes Alert Day

Submitted by Sue Zubrod, Floyd County Medical Center Diabetes Educator RN, BSN, CDE

The American Diabetes Association Alert Day is observed annually on the fourth Tuesday in March. It is a one-day wake-up call to inform the American public about the seriousness of diabetes, particularly when diabetes is left undiagnosed or untreated.

On this day, the American Diabetes Association encourages the public to take the Diabetes Risk Test, as well as to share the test with everyone they care about — friends, family members and colleagues.

With each person that takes the test and knows their risk, we are that much closer to stopping diabetes.

Over 29 million people in the United States have diabetes, most having type 2. An estimated 8.1 million do not even know they have it. An additional 86 million people, or one-in-three American adults, have pre-diabetes which puts them at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Recent estimates project that as many as one-in-three American adults could have diabetes by 2050 unless steps are taken to curb this disease.

The Diabetes Risk Test asks users to answer simple questions about family history, age weight and other potential risks for pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Preventative tips are provided for everyone who takes the test, including encouraging those at high risk to talk with their health care provider.

To take the short online Diabetes Risk Test or download a printed copy, go to www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/diabetes-risk-test/?loc=alertday. ­

— Information from the American Diabetes Association