Special day to ‘wake up’ to the facts

Know the risks of this common disease

March 29, 2023

Consider these vital facts:

• Approximately one million Michiganders are among the 37.3 million people in the United States who have it.
• Those at least 45 or older who have a family history, high blood pressure or are inactive, also are likely to develop it.
• An estimated 50 percent of women who had it when pregnant are likely to develop it post-pregnancy.

Diabetes occurs when blood sugar—the main source of energy from the food one eats—is too high. Over time, increased blood sugar can lead to multiple other health problems, including kidney and heart disease, stroke and foot and vision problems, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

On the fourth Tuesday of every March, the ADA launches Diabetes Alert Day®, encouraging people to “wake up” to the importance of diabetes risk factors.

 

“(Diabetes) can wreak havoc on one’s overall health, which is why monitoring it is an important part to managing it.”

—Lauren Brown, Enbridge’s community engagement manager in northern Michigan

While diabetes has no cure, one can manage it, according to the ADA.

“Many of us know someone who has diabetes,” said Lauren Brown, Enbridge’s community engagement advisor based in the Straits of Mackinac. “It can wreak havoc on one’s overall health, which is why monitoring it is an important part to managing it.

“For Enbridge, that means transporting safely through Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac the light oil and natural gas liquids essential to manufacturing not only the medications, but the exercise equipment, blood-sugar meters, injection pens, and insulin pumps those diagnosed with diabetes can use. We take pride knowing Line 5 plays a critical role in an effort to help those with diabetes.”

In recognition of Diabetes Alert Day®, the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases invites readers to test their knowledge about diabetes risks.