What is diabetes?
According to the CDC, Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin (Type I Diabetes) or can’t use the insulin it makes as well as it should (Type II Diabetes), causing too much blood sugar to stay in your bloodstream. Over time, this can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.
Fast Facts
Who is at risk of diabetes?
According to the CDC, you can be at risk for Type 1 Diabetes if you have a known family history of Type 1 Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is also more likely to develop when you’re a child, teen or young adult.
According to the CDC, you can be at risk for Type 2 Diabetes if you:
- Have prediabetes
- Are overweight
- Are older than 45 years
- Have family history with Type 2Diabetes
- Are physically active less than 3 times a week
- Have had gestational diabetes (during pregnancy) or gave birth to a baby over 9 pounds
- Are African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, or Alaskan Native (some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are also at higher risk)
Clinical Characteristics
Symptoms
