American Diabetes Association Alert Day Date in the current year: March 26, 2024

Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is an umbrella term for a group of endocrine diseases that are characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels, which can be caused by either the pancreas not producing enough insulin, or the body cells responding poorly to the insulin produced.

There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that begins in childhood or adolescence. It involves the destruction of the insulin-producing cells by the immune system, which makes the body unable to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. The management of type 1 diabetes includes regular injections of insulin, frequent blood sugar monitoring, and following a special diet.

Gestational diabetes affects 2–10% of pregnant women; it generally results in few symptoms and resolves itself after delivery. However, it increases the risk of some pregnancy and delivery complications so it is important for pregnant women to maintain a healthy weight, get screened for gestational diabetes, and follow their doctor’s recommendations if they get diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for about 90% of all cases of diabetes and affecting millions of peoples worldwide. Formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, it typically develops in middle or older age. Type 2 diabetes is caused by a combination of lifestyle factors, primarily obesity, a lack of exercise, poor diet and stress, and genetics. According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization, untreated or poorly managed diabetes was the 9th leading cause of death globally as of 2019.

Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is preventable, although not for everyone because there are genetic factors at play. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle significantly reduces the chances of developing type 2 diabetes, and properly managing the disease when one has already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes improves quality of life and life expectancy.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1939 to educate the general public about diabetes and its prevention, as well as to help those affected by the disease to manage it. Diabetes Alert Day was launched by the ADA in 1988 as part of its diabetes awareness campaign. It has been observed on the fourth Tuesday in March ever since.

The main objective of American Diabetes Association Alert Day is to encourage Americans to learn about their risk factors and take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The test is free and anonymous; it is available online and takes about a minute to complete. When you complete the test, ADA will provide you with diabetes prevention tips along with your results; even if your risk is low right now, you need to stay healthy and fit to keep it that way.

Other ways to observe American Diabetes Alert Day include sharing the test with your friends and family so they can take it too, donating to the ADA or any other nonprofit that helps people affected by diabetes and funds diabetes research, and posting about Diabetes Alert Day on social media with the hashtag #DiabetesAlert to spread the word.