November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

Are you, or someone you love, at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes? Is it possible to have diabetes and not know it?

Some people with type 2 diabetes have obvious symptoms but many do not. It could be 7 to 10 years before they are diagnosed. The American Diabetes Association estimates that nearly one-third of all people with diabetes (over 6 million) don't even know they have it.

What risk factors are associated with Type 2 diabetes?

• Having a family member with diabetes
• Being of Alaska Native, American Indian, African American, Hispanic/Latino American, Asian American, or Pacific Islander descent
• Having had gestational diabetes, or given birth to at least one baby weighing more than 9 pounds
• Having polycystic ovary syndrome, also known as PCOS
• Blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or higher, or a diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Having HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) below 35 mg/dL, or triglyceride levels above 250 mg/dL
• Sedentary lifestyle
• History of cardiovascular disease
• Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG)

Sources:

"National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC)." Am I At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes? January 2006. National Institutes of Health. 31 Oct 2006

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