26 Million Americans

Today is World Diabetes Day, an official United Nations World Day, and a great opportunity to raise awareness of this disease.

26 million Americans live with diabetes and another 79 million have what is known as pre-diabetes, a condition that significantly increases their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2012 is $245 billion, including $176 billion in direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity. *

According to the National Institutes of Health, diabetes can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, stroke, amputation, and even death.

Are you at risk?

There are many factors that increase your risk for diabetes. To find out about your risk, go to http://ndep.nih.gov/am-i-at-risk/DiabetesRiskFactors.aspx and review their checklist.

*National Diabetes Education Program: A program of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://ndep.nih.gov/