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Together, We Will End Diabetes
Over 155 million Americans are living with diabetes or prediabetes. Your donation fuels research toward a cure, community programs, and advocacy work. Donate Today.
Together, We Can Create a Future Without Diabetes
Through research, advocacy, and programs, the American Diabetes Association is working every day to improve lives affected by diabetes—until the day diabetes becomes a thing of the past.
What is Diabetes?
Let’s start with the basics. Diabetes causes your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels to rise too high (hyperglycemia). When you eat, your body breaks food down into glucose and sends it into your blood. Insulin then helps move the glucose from your blood into your cells. When glucose enters your cells, it is either used as fuel for energy right away or stored for later use.
If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make insulin, can’t use the insulin it does make well, or both. Your blood glucose (blood sugar) will be affected in different ways depending on what type of diabetes you have.
The three most common types of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (GDM).
Give Today and Change lives!
With your support, the American Diabetes Association® can continue our lifesaving work to make breakthroughs in research and provide people with the resources they need to fight diabetes.