American Diabetes Association Alert Day

Jane Carroll

Mar 06, 2017

Tuesday, March 28, is American Diabetes Association Alert Day® and as the leading community-based network committed to improving the nation’s health, the WEST SUBURBAN YMCA is encouraging people in Newton to learn the risks of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and steps they can take to prevent the disease.                                     

• An estimated 86 million people, one in three adults, in the United States have prediabetes, yet just 10 percent of those individuals know they have it.
• Having prediabetes means a person has elevated blood glucose levels that are not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. People with prediabetes are at risk for not only developing type 2 diabetes, but also heart disease and other conditions. 
• In 2012, the total cost of diagnosed diabetes was $245 billion; $176 billion was in direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity.
• On American Diabetes Association Alert Day, we encourage all community members to take a diabetes risk assessment by visiting ymca.net/diabetes. If you are at risk for prediabetes, it’s best to meet with a health care provider to discuss your options.
• The Y helps people achieve well-being, reduce their risk for chronic disease and reclaim their health when they are living with one.  

About Type 2 Diabetes:

• Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed more often in adults, and type 1 diabetes is diagnosed more often in children, but the rates of type 2 diabetes are increasing rapidly for both adults and children. 
• Adults with diabetes or prediabetes are at higher risk of developing heart disease and stroke than other groups of people.
• People who are overweight, inactive and over the age of 45 are at risk for the disease.
• If a person is at risk, a diabetes screening conducted by a health care provider can confirm if a person has diabetes or prediabetes. Medicare covers the cost of screenings for beneficiaries. 
• Individuals can reduce their risk for developing diabetes. Research has shown that modest weight loss and regular, moderate physical activity can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes among adults at risk. 
• Medical expenses for people with diabetes are more than two times higher than for people without diabetes.
• The average medical expenses for a person with diabetes are $13,700 per year.
• In 2012, the total cost of diagnosed diabetes was $245 billion; $176 billion was in direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity.

African-Americans and Diabetes:

• African-Americans have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes when compared to non-Hispanic whites. 
• According to the CDC, the risk of a diabetes diagnosis is 77 percent higher for African-Americans when compared to non-Hispanic whites.
• 4.9 million African Americans (13.2 percent) ages 20 years or older have diagnosed diabetes.

Hispanic/Latinos and Diabetes:

• Hispanic and Latinos have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes when compared to non-Hispanic whites.
• According to the CDC, the risk of a diabetes diagnosis is 66 percent higher among Hispanics/Latinos when compared to non-Hispanic whites.
• 12.8 percent of Hispanics/Latinos ages 20 years or older have diagnosed diabetes.
• Among Hispanics/Latinos, diabetes prevalence rates are 8.5 percent for Central and South Americans, 9.3 percent for Cubans, 13.9 percent for Mexican Americans, and 14.8 percent for Puerto Ricans.