American Diabetes Association® Alert Day®

Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease—in fact, two-thirds of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease.

A survey on behalf of the American Diabetes Association found that 68% of people with diabetes did not know that heart disease and stroke are a serious threat to their health. Even if their blood sugar levels are under control, diabetes still increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Part of the reason for this is that diabetes affects cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Usually people with diabetes also have high blood pressure and are obese, which increases their risk even more.

Held the fourth Tuesday of March each year, American Diabetes Association Alert Day is a day to sound the alarm about the prevalence of type 2 diabetes by asking everyone to take the Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test. The free, anonymous risk test only takes a minute to complete. By answering questions such as “Do you have a family history of diabetes?” and “Are you physically active?” you can learn if you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes in 60 seconds.

ADA 60-Second Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test