Approximately 1 in 3 seniors 65 and older have diabetes, and nearly 50% of them are undiagnosed. Could you be one of them?
As you get older, your risk for type 2 diabetes increases. Most people who are age 65 or older are at risk for type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a condition in which a person's blood glucose level is higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be called diabetes - more than 40% of seniors have pre-diabetes.
The next time you see a health care provider, ask to be checked for diabetes - ask for a screening. If you find out you do have diabetes, you can begin to take care of it. You can work with your health care provider to get in control of your diabetes. Good control of diabetes, along with control of high blood pressure and cholesterol, can reduce your chances of heart attack, stroke, blindness, amputations, or kidney disease.