By: Dr. Reema Patel

The American Diabetes Association Alert Day® is a one- day “wake-up call” asking the American public to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, a condition characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by either a lack of insulin or the body’s inability to use insulin efficiently. Type 2 diabetes develops most often in middle- aged and older adults but can appear in young people.

Held this year Tuesday, March 25, the Diabetes Risk Test asks users to answer simple questions about weight, age, family history and other potential risk factors for pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. The test can be taken by visiting www.diabetes. org/are-you-at-risk/diabetes- risk-test/.

Preventive tips are provided for everyone who takes the test, including encouraging those at high risk to talk with their health care provider. For every test taken, Boar’s Head Brand® will donate $5 to the American Diabetes Association starting March 25 through April 25, up to $50,000. Diabetes occurs because of the inability of the body to either make or properly use insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas which helps in the absorption of glucose from the blood stream. Deficiency in the amount or action of insulin results in high blood sugar levels, a tell-tale sign of diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2011 close to 20 million people in the U.S. were diagnosed with diabetes, and an estimated seven million still remain undiagnosed.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic leg amputations, new cases of blindness, and a major cause of heart disease and stroke. Asian Americans, African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans are high- risk ethnic groups for developing diabetes.

Symptoms of diabetes can include increased thirst and frequency of urination, feeling tired, weight loss, blurry vision, tingling/numbness in the hands or feet, and wounds or cuts that heal slower than usual.

Reema Patel, M.D., is on staff at Raritan Bay Medical Center, with offices in Old Bridge and South Amboy, NJ. She is board certified in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism and Internal Medicine. The medical center recently became an affiliate of the Joslin Diabetes Center, the world’s preeminent diabetes research and clinical care organization, to provide the latest advances in diabetes treatment, patient education and support services. Dr. Patel is fluent in English, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu. To make an appointment, call 732-360-4070 or 1-800-DOC- TORS.