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Today is American Diabetes Alert Day. Medical News Today reports that “it is estimated that more than 29 million people in the US have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for around 90-95% of these cases. The condition occurs as a result of the body being unable to produce enough of the hormone insulin or use it effectively. This leads to high blood glucose levels.”

“In order to manage blood glucose levels, patients with type 2 diabetes are often treated with oral medication – such as metformin – insulin injections, or a combination of both.”

However, the piece reports that “in a new study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports, researchers reveal how a combination of stem cell transplantation and antidiabetic medication successfully treated mice with type 2 diabetes.”

“Senior study author Timothy Kieffer, of the University of British Columbia in Canada, and colleagues say the findings could lead the way for the first ever stem cell-based insulin replacement therapy being tested in humans with type 2 diabetes.”

Much of the coverage for American Diabetes Alert Day focuses on raising awareness and encouraging individuals to test themselves. KARE-TV reports that “experts are calling on Americans to take the diabetes risk test to find out if they're at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, one in three adults has pre-diabetes increasing their risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Early diagnosis is vital to possibly delay or prevent complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, and stroke.”

The American Diabetes Association offers an online Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test.