There are 23.6 million adults and children living with diabetes. That's 7.8% of the US population. Five million American are diabetic and don't know it. If it's left untreated, diabetes can lead to heart attack, stroke, blindness and kidney failure.
It's a growing epidemic in this country, and Tuesday, March 23rd is a national wake up call. It's American Diabetes Association Alert Day. The message is simple: know your risk. Here is a risk assessment test . It takes less than a minute.
Your risk for developing diabetes increases with age. While Gen Xers aren't quite in that age bracket yet, we may be at risk in other ways. We can also encourage our parents and other family members who do fall into that category to arm themselves with knowledge as well.
If you know your risk, you can help lower it. You can't change your family history, race or age, but eating nutritious meals and staying active are fully within your power. You have the ability to take control over those risk factors, and help prevent diabetes.
On Tuesday, March 23, the ADA will issue its call to the Capital Region. Learn more by listening at 8:30 am on 99.5 The River , 9 am on PYX 106 , and 9:30 on Fox Sports 980 am , watching NewsChannel 13 Live at Noon, News 10 at 4 pm, Talk 1300 am between 3 - 6 pm and by picking up a copy of the Times Union .
To learn more about diabetes: www.stopdiabetes.com
To get involved: Saratoga Springs Tour de Cure and Step Out
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