Doctors encourage everyone to get diabetes testing – KALB News (press release)

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) -- Diabetes causes more deaths every year than breast cancer and AIDS combined.

And health officials want you to see if you're at risk for the disease. Tuesday, March 28, was American Diabetes Association Alert Day.

Having diabetes nearly doubles your chance of having a heart attack. Some risk factors for the disease include a family history of diabetes, being over the age of 45, being overweight, a poor diet and not being physically active.

But, health officials say having good diabetes control can reduce your risk for diabetes complications.

"Maintaining a good nutritious diet, maintaining an active lifestyle are key. We can prevent diabetes by doing that," said Dr. Frank Schwartz, a physician in Parkersburg, West Virginia. "And it's going to take a paradigm shift in our country in terms of the food we eat. You know, my grandmother used to say you are what you eat, and it's important to eat fresh vegetables and fresh fruits and avoid packaged foods."

According to the American Diabetes Association, 9 out of 10 Americans most at risk for type 2 diabetes don't even know it.

It takes just one minute to know if you're at risk, by taking the American Diabetes Association's Type 2 Diabetes Test, at the link under the "Related Links" section of this article.

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Doctors encourage everyone to get diabetes testing - KALB News (press release)