November is National Diabetes Month; the goal is to make the public more aware of the serious nature of the disease and how to detect and control it. When our bodies are unable to maintain a normal blood sugar level, many complications may follow, including kidney failure. The disease is also the leading cause of new cases of blindness. Some 26 million Americans suffer from diabetes and another 79 million adults have prediabetes, a condition that increases their chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Together, that’s about a third of the U.S. population. Across the country, around 71,000 people a year die from the disease, and thousands more from its complications. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.