Did you know one in two adults with diabetes is undiagnosed? Learn why it’s important to get tested.
More than 1.4 million Pennsylvanians have diabetes, but an estimated 325,000—or one in four—don’t know it, the American Diabetes Association reports.
Only 5 percent of people living with diabetes have type 1, previously known as juvenile diabetes, which means nearly 95 percent of people who have diabetes are living with type 2.
The good news is you have the ability to prevent or delay developing type 2 diabetes by eating healthy, being active and maintaining a healthy weight.
The first step is knowing if you’re at risk.
Most people develop prediabetes—in which you have blood glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes—before developing type 2. However, because you might not experience symptoms, you may not be aware you have prediabetes. With early treatment, your blood glucose levels can return to normal.
Why pre-screen for diabetes?
Diabetes can cause mild to severe health problems, such as high blood pressure, DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) and foot and eye complications when left untreated or managed poorly.
According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes are 40 percent more likely to suffer from glaucoma and 60 percent more likely to develop cataracts than those without it. Two out of three people with diabetes also have high blood pressure.
While your chance of developing diabetes depends on a variety of risk factors, including age, race, gender, and family history, you can make lifestyle changes to lower your risk.
In Pennsylvania, the Department of Health offers diabetes prevention programs to help you change your lifestyle to lower your chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to locate a program near you, which may be hosted by your local hospital, health center, YMCA, or other community organization.
You can take the American Diabetes Association type 2 diabetes risk test to view your risk level.
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