This health condition affects everyone, but it disproportionately affects Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that prevalence of diabetes diagnoses is 14.7 percent among American Indians/Alaska Natives, nearly double that of white people (7.5 percent) in the United States. Diabetes has also been diagnosed in 12.5 percent of Hispanic people, 11.7 percent of non-Hispanic Black people, and 9.2 percent of non-Hispanic Asian people.
Understanding Diabetes
Diabetes puts people at risk for nerve damage, cardiovascular disease, foot and limb injuries, vision problems, and other complications that arise from having uncontrolled blood sugar, as the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus guide cautions. Not to mention, diabetes raises a person’s risk of developing serious COVID-19, per the CDC. That’s why understanding diabetes and how to manage it is more important than ever. Also known as diabetes mellitus, it’s actually a group of metabolic disorders that cause your blood glucose (sugar) level to be higher than it should be and therefore prevent your body from properly using energy that comes from food and beverages, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Types of Diabetes
The major types of diabetes are: Type 1 Diabetes An autoimmune disorder that typically begins before adulthood, in which the immune system destroys cells within the body that make insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar Type 2 Diabetes A disease that usually begins in middle age, which results when the body isn’t able to use insulin properly to regulate blood sugar Gestational Diabetes A condition during pregnancy in which the body doesn’t use insulin properly, similar to type 2 diabetes Which Type of Diabetes Is Most Common? Up to 95 percent of cases are type 2 diabetes, and most of the rest are type 1 diabetes.
Diagnosing Diabetes
Even more important than knowing the statistics about diabetes is understanding the numbers used in its diagnosis and how they apply to you. According to the Cleveland Clinic, you could be diagnosed with a version of the disease if:
Your blood glucose after fasting (and before a meal) tests at 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher.Your random blood glucose is 200 mg/dl or higher.You receive a result of 6.5 or higher on the hemoglobin A1C test, which shows how much glucose has attached to the hemoglobin in your red blood cells, on average, over the past three months.
Or you may have prediabetes if your fasting blood glucose is 100 to 125 mg/dL; your random glucose is 140 to 199 mg/dL; or your A1C is in the range of 5.7 to 6.4, notes the Cleveland Clinic. The CDC estimates that in the United States 88 million people have prediabetes, and 84 percent don’t know they have it. Week 1 (November 1–7): Step Up Awareness The first thing to do is to educate yourself, says the ADA. It provides information and resources at Diabetes.org/adm. Week 2 (November 8–14): Step Up Detection Knowing the risk factors for type 2 diabetes is one of the first steps in preventing the disease. The organization encourages people to take a risk test at Diabetes.org/risktest. Week 3 (November 15–21): Step Up Management To help people living with diabetes thrive, the ADA provides healthy recipes at Diabetes.org/foodhub and a healthy living newsletter. It will also host a fitness challenge on exercise tracking app Strava. Week 4 (November 22–28): Step Up and Thrive The group encourages those inspired by the previous steps and their personal progress to be advocates for more funding, healthcare access, and affordable treatments. Its advocacy hub is at Diabetes.org/advocacy. Meanwhile, the JDRF, which is focused on type 1 diabetes research and advocacy, will unveil programming around the theme “Movers, Shakers, T1D Changemakers.” Activities will include conferences and fundraising walks in cities around the United States and local galas. Team JDRF will take part in the New York City Marathon, too. The latest activities for Diabetes Awareness Month will be listed at JDRF.org/ndam. Beyond the activities of these U.S.-based organizations, groups around the globe will observe World Diabetes Day on November 14, 2021. The theme, which will be used through 2023, is “Access to Diabetes Care.” It was chosen to highlight the barriers to getting the medicine, technologies, support, and care millions need to manage the disease 100 years after insulin was first used for diabetes treatment. “The centenary of the discovery of insulin presents a unique opportunity to bring about meaningful change for the more than 460 million people living with diabetes and the millions more at risk,” according to the International Diabetes Federation. Use the information below to learn more about American Diabetes Awareness Month and World Diabetes Day activities, how to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, how you can use your voice to advocate for better treatments, where you can find support for managing the disease, and how you can donate toward research or even participate in studies related to diabetes.
Diabetes Awareness Day Is November 14, 2021
According to the IDF, this awareness day reaches over one billion people in more than 160 countries. Supporters chose the date in honor of Sir Frederick Banting, who, with Charles Best, discovered insulin in 1922. Visit the World Diabetes Day web page, and access screening tools and quizzes for learning your risk for type 2 diabetes and testing your knowledge. Then find diabetes fairs, walks, runs, educational programs, and more using an interactive map of the world.
National Diabetes Education Week Is November 7–13, 2021
The Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists observes the first full week in November as a time to recognize the work of diabetes care and education specialists and provide them with updated resources. Specifically, they will provide a toolkit for their members at DiabetesEducator.org/NDEW. Here is a list of popular walks and runs for diabetes in the United States:
JDRF One Walk 2021 (virtual)WDF Global Diabetes Walk 2021 (virtual and in person)ADA Step Out Walk 2021 (virtual)
Here is more info on these walks:
JDRF One Walk 2021
In the past, fundraising JDRF One Walk events have been held throughout the year in cities across the United States, drawing more than 900,000 people annually, according to the organization. This year in October and November, the organization is hosting close to 150 virtual fundraising walks across the country. Learn More About JDRF One Walks in 2021 and How to Join
WDF Global Diabetes Walk 2021
More than five million people have joined the World Diabetes Foundation’s Global Diabetes Walk since 2004, marking World Diabetes Day on November 14. Whether they are in person or virtual depends on a particular country’s regulations, but this map of registered walks around the world gives an idea of the scope of what they are doing. Learn More About Global Diabetes Walks in 2021 and How to Join
ADA Step Out Walk 2021
The ADA holds Step Out Walk events across the United States to raise funds for research, programs, advocacy, and education. Find out where there’s one in your area using the Step Out Walk website. The date for the national Step Out Walk was September 18, 2021, and most other walks were held in September and October, but some states hold walks in other months. Learn More About Step Out Walks in 2021 and How to Join Here is a list of top professional conferences and meetings for diabetes in the United States:
ENDO 2022ADA Scientific Sessions 2022ADCES 2022
Endo 2022
The Endocrine Society calls its annual spring conference the world’s largest event for presenting and obtaining the latest in endocrine science and medicine, including research about diabetes. ENDO 2022 will be held in Atlanta from June 11 to 14, 2022. The organization says it struggled with the decision to hold it there, given the recent passage of a law that disproportionately places voting restrictions on communities of color, but it consulted with local Black elected and spiritual leaders before arriving at a final decision. “We are exploring opportunities to engage with the people of Atlanta in ways to demonstrate our commitment to DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion],” said Endocrine Society president Carol H. Wysham, MD, in a statement posted to the organization’s website. “One opportunity we are exploring is hosting an ENDO Cares program while we are in Atlanta. ENDO Cares is an outreach program that provides medical resources, coaching, and education to local providers and patients suffering from endocrine-related conditions in underserved communities.”
ADA Scientific Sessions 2022
The American Diabetes Association’s annual showcase for diabetes care, research, and education is an important destination for researchers and healthcare professionals. Last year’s virtual sessions included updates about developments of pancreatic beta cells from stem cells. The ADA’s 82nd Scientific Sessions will convene from June 3 to 7, 2022, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
ADCES 2022
The Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists holds an annual meeting for certified diabetes educators, registered dietitian nutritionists, diabetes specialists, diabetes researchers, and advocates for diabetes awareness. Many people living with diabetes attend, too. The goal of the conference is to update participants on the latest diabetes diet, lifestyle, and medication guidelines, so that people living with diabetes can receive the most up-to-date information possible. Scientists also present their research, and pharmaceutical companies, app makers, and food manufacturers share information about their drugs and products. Next year’s conference, ADCES 2022, is scheduled to take place in person in Baltimore from August 12 to 15, 2022. Content from ADCES 2021 is available online, on demand through November 8, 2021.
ADA Regional Offices
Reach out to your local ADA branch office to find out where the needs are in your community. Volunteers are welcome!
YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program
More than 200 local branches of the YMCA have Diabetes Prevention Programs for people who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Learn about the program and then ask if your local Y offers it. Use the local Y locator to get contact information.
Your Local Hospital
Most hospitals post information for interested volunteers on their websites or can steer you in the right direction if you call their main number.
Sharing on Social Media
ADA — #TheBigStepUp #ADM2021 The most prominent diabetes organization in the United States is asking everyone to do their part to lessen the burden of diabetes on themselves and on others. It asks participants to use this hashtag when positing about the steps they’re taking to lower their risk of diabetes, manage the disease, and advocate for more resources and research to address it. IDF — #IfNotNowWhen The IDF encourages people to use this hashtag to underscore the urgency of providing diabetes care to people around the world who need it. It also has a Blue Circle Selfie app for download on iPhones and Android devices that lets you superimpose a powder blue circle — the universal symbol for diabetes — on the selfies that you post on social media.
Get Political
Diabetes Awareness Month is a perfect time to use your voice to push for policies that can save lives. The largest diabetes-focused organizations are set up so that you can easily start your journey in advocacy online, signing petitions and sending messages to your local elected officials. ADA — Become an Advocate The organization claims that more than 500,000 advocates around the country have helped build a movement to support key diabetes priorities in Congress, state legislatures, and legal advocacy. Its focus includes diabetes research and programs, healthcare, insulin affordability, rights and protections relating to COVID-19 for people with diabetes, diabetes prevention, and support for people living with and affected by diabetes. Visit its advocacy page to get involved. JDRF — Advocacy Similarly, the JDRF encourages the public to call for federal funding of diabetes research, and the organization helps inform health and regulatory policy, such as those relating to affordable access to insulin, Medicare coverage, and insurance coverage for preexisting conditions. Visit its page for advocacy to start the process.
ADA Blog
You can share your personal story of living with diabetes by filling out this form. The ADA regularly shares such stories to its blog. Here is an example of how they are presented: “A Type 2 Love Story” Denise never told anyone she dated that she has type 2 diabetes until she met the man who is now her husband, she shared in a blog post: “He took the news quite well, and I didn’t have to do any exhaustive explaining since it turns out his dad is a type 2 diabetic. But even so, he was already living on his own when his dad was diagnosed, so he only knew about his dad cutting out certain foods and taking his meds. … My husband now fully understands what I have been, and still go through with being a type 2, because he was diagnosed in August of 2020.” The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has a database through which you can find diabetes clinical trials that are seeking participants. Click on each study headline to get details about participating. Before you sign up, consider watching a series of informational videos about clinical research participation provided by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s Office for Human Research Protections, so you can know which questions to ask and what to expect. The ADA also has a page listing clinical trials for which it is a supporter. Meanwhile, the JDRF has a clinical trial matching tool for people with type 1 diabetes who would like to find a study to participate in.
ADA Online Support Groups
The ADA is sunsetting its own online community and joining forces with Beyond Type 1 and Beyond Type 2 to continue providing a platform for mutual support. People with type 1 diabetes can join the Beyond Type 1 Community and those with type 2 diabetes can join the Beyond Type 2 Community.
Other Ways to Take Action on Diabetes
Applying for Job Opportunities and Internships With Organizations That Address Diabetes If you would like to work for an organization that is making a difference in the lives of people who are living with diabetes or affected by it, try the career pages of the following organizations:
American Diabetes AssociationJDRFJoslin Diabetes Center
