3) What diabetes actually is
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Diabetes is a life-long condition that affects how the body turns sugar into energy. It occurs when you can’t produce enough insulin to help turn food into energy or your body can’t use insulin as it should. This can lead to serious problems like heart disease, blindness, and organ damage.
4) The scale of the problem – 1 in 11 have prediabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease, meaning it cannot be cured. Prediabetes is the first step to diabetes and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 26 million Americans have this condition. Almost 4 out of 5 are not aware that they have prediabetes because there are no symptoms or other indications of the disease. If you suspect you may have diabetes or prediabetes, see your healthcare provider.