Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas to convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy.
The American Diabetes Association reports there to be 20.8 million adults and children in the United States who have diabetes. This figure represents an estimated 14.6 million already diagnosed with diabetes and another one third or 6.2 million people who have Type 2 Diabetes and do not know it.
This number includes over 66,000 people on Long Island who have diabetes and are not aware of it.
Diabetes is serious and is still the leading cause of adult blindness, kidney failure ,amputation, heart disease and stroke. Diabetes affects men, women and children of all races and all ethnic groups.