Nov. 16, 2020&mdash;Millions of people are headed for type 2 diabetes and don't even know it. Could you be one of them? Quite possibly&mdash;even if you feel fine right now.

What is it?

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Anyone can get this disease. But some things can influence your chances, such as your age, ethnicity, family history and whether you're physically active.

If type 2 diabetes does develop, it can damage your body. Blood sugar (glucose) levels rise too high because the body has trouble using insulin (a hormone that guides glucose into every cell). Having type 2 diabetes increases the chances of getting heart, eye or kidney disease; nerve damage; and other problems as well.

It's better to know

If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, it's important to find out as soon as possible so you can take steps to avoid the disease and its serious consequences. 

How do you turn things around? The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.netreturns.biz/healthinfo/bouncelink.aspx?shortcut=cdc">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> and the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.netreturns.biz/healthinfo/bouncelink.aspx?shortcut=niddkd">National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases</a> note that healthy lifestyle habits&mdash;like eating right, exercising regularly and staying at a healthy weight&mdash;can help you lower your chances of getting type 2 diabetes. Even if you already have type 2 diabetes, these same habits along with medicines, if needed, can help you keep the disease in check.

Check your risk now

Take our <a href="[BASEDOMAIN]/healthinfo/Story.aspx?StoryID=34302b70-1fa2-4fe4-b51f-c9d952ca755e">Diabetes Risk Assessment</a> to find out if you are at risk for type 2 diabetes. Then talk with your doctor about your results.

Don't let type 2 diabetes sneak up on you 

Age, ethnicity, family history and activity level can all affect your risk for type 2 diabetes. See where you stand.