Diabetes and Health Care: General Information

November is National Diabetes Month, a time when communities across the country team up to bring attention to diabetes. In partnership with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) NIH external link, this year’s focus is on the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke as people without diabetes. This is because over time, high blood glucose from diabetes can damage your blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart. The good news is that the steps you take to manage your diabetes can also help lower your chances of having heart disease or a stroke:

• Stop smoking or using other tobacco products.
• Manage your A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
• Develop or maintain healthy lifestyle habits - be more physically active and learn ways to manage stress.

• Take medicines as prescribed by your doctor.

Consider that while almost 30 million people in the U.S. have some form of diabetes, one in four don’t even realize they’re walking around with the disease. National Diabetes Month is an annual event each November to boost awareness about the risk factors, symptoms, and types of diabetes. If you’ve been recently diagnosed with either Type 1 or Type 2, or if you are considered prediabetic, hear the stories, check out the latest research, and connect with others who can help you on your journey to live a healthier life.

How can National Diabetes Month make a difference?

We can use this month to raise awareness about diabetes risk factors and encourage people to make healthy changes.

Here are just a few ideas:

• Encourage people to make small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Talk to people in your community about getting regular checkups. They can get their blood pressure and cholesterol checked, and ask the doctor about their diabetes risk.
• Ask doctors and nurses to be leaders in their communities by speaking about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.

Diabetes Mellitus is a disease which causes your blood sugar levels to become too high. When you eat, the food is broken down into glucose which is moved from your bloodstream into your cells by insulin. When you have diabetes, glucose is unable to move into your cells and so builds up in your bloodstream. There are two main types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. In Type 1 diabetes the body does not make insulin. In Type 2 diabetes the body does not make enough insulin or cannot use the insulin it makes effectively.

Millions of people worldwide live with or know someone living with diabetes. While chronic regardless of type, diabetes is a treatable disease and people with it can live long, active and productive lives. 

American Diabetes Association Diabetes Alert Day^® is on March 24, 2020! Observed annually on the fourth Tuesday in March, Diabetes Alert Day is a one-day “wake-up call” that focuses on the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of understanding your risk. We encourage you to find out if you – or someone you love – is at risk for type 2 diabetes by taking this quick and simple Diabetes Risk Test.  

The World's Largest Diabetes Awareness Campaign