Center for Chronic Disease

More than 18 million people in the United States have diabetes—and five million of them don’t know they have the disease.* In most cases, diabetes comes on silently, with no obvious symptoms. A chronic condition that is characterized by extremely high levels of sugar in the blood, diabetes is caused by a combination of genetics and lifestyle. And it is non-discriminating: anyone—including children, teenagers, and adults—can be diagnosed with the disease.

While there is no cure for diabetes, the disease can be controlled. People with type 1 diabetes (also known as juvenile-onset diabetes) can regulate their blood sugars with insulin injections, and those with type 2 diabetes—by far the more common form of the disease—can control their blood sugar levels with a combination of diet, exercise, and medications. For all people with diabetes, education is an integral component of any successful plan of care.

• Take Control of Your Diabetes—Don’t Let It Control You
• What Is Diabetes?
• Learn Effective Skills and Strategies for Managing Diabetes
• Group Classes