Diabetes Alert Day: Former Orlando Magic Star Wayne “Tree” Rollins & Others Warn Americans to Learn if They Have Diabetes — Are You One of 60 Million Americans With Diabetes or At Risk of Getting It?

Are you one of 6 million people who don’t know that you have diabetes? Or are you one of 54 million Americans with pre-diabetes, which means you’re at risk for developing type 2 diabetes?

Find out ASAP, urges the American Diabetes Association, which is sounding the alert now and up Tuesday, March 25, 2008, which is the 20th Annual American Diabetes Alert Day.

Tuesday is designated as a time to sound the “wake-up” call to Americans everywhere about the seriousness of diabetes, which is the fifth leading cause of death.

The idea of Tuesday’s alert day is to encourage those at risk for developing type 2 diabetes or those with loved ones at risk to take the Diabetes Risk Test. If you score high, then schedule an appointment with your doctor.

You may already have this disease but not realize it. You need to know that facts. As noted previously, of the nearly 21 million children and adults in the U.S. who already have diabetes, one-third  of those — or more than 6 million people — don’t know they have it.

It’s important to be be aware about this disease, because diabetes can lead to some dangerous complications. For instance, if you have type 2 diabetes, you could get heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and kidney damage (nephropathy).

By the way, retired basketball player Wayne "Tree" Rollins — as revealed by MFTV — is one of those who got the disease but initially didn’t know it. Now "Tree" is out there helping to sound the alert.

Tune in to Tuesday’s Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show, when you can learn more about diabetes. The show is being held in honor of American Diabetes Alert Day.

As with all of my Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Shows, you can listen live or afterwards.