On Tuesday, March 27, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) asks everyone to take the Type 2 diabetes Risk Test for themselves or for a loved one to learn their risk for type 2 diabetes for Alert Day. Almost half of all Americans have diabetes or prediabetes, which means if you don’t have diabetes and are not at risk, you probably know someone who is. One in three Americans has prediabetes, a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Without active intervention through lifestyle change, including exercise and nutrition, prediabetes almost always progresses to a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

Type 2 diabetes can result in dangerous complications, including kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, amputations, and blindness. Early intervention is the first step on a path to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

An estimated 84 million American adults have prediabetes, but 90% of them are undiagnosed. The Risk Test, a 60-second series of questions, such as “do you have a family history of diabetes,” and “are you physically active,” calculates an individual’s risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Those whose score indicates increased risk are urged to schedule an appointment with their health-care provider for further testing.