The 24th Annual American Diabetes Association Alert Day on March 27 was a one-day "wake-up call" that encouraged people to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Last year, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) encouraged Americans to "Join the Million Challenge," and more than 600,000 people took the test.

As a national strategic partner of the association, Miracle-Ear joined the call to action. Its locations nationwide worked with the association go above and beyond 600,000 people, inspiring individuals to take the new Diabetes Risk Test and join the ADA in the fight to Stop Diabetes®.

The new test asks users to answer simple questions about weight, age, family history and other potential risks for type 2 diabetes, or pre-diabetes. Everyone who takes the test receives tips about prevention, including encouraging those at high risk to talk with their health care provider.

Diabetes is a serious disease that affects nearly 26 million Americans. One-fourth of those affected are not aware they have the disease. People with diabetes are more than twice as likely to have hearing loss, according to a recent study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"Diabetes doubles your risk of developing a hearing loss," said Rebecca Younk, AuD, of Miracle-Ear. "Early diagnosis and treatment are critical in helping to minimize complications, including hearing loss. Since people with type 2 diabetes frequently do not display any symptoms, hearing loss may be the first indicator that there may be a problem."

To shine a spotlight on the ties between diabetes and hearing loss, Miracle-Ear locations supported Alert Day by encouraging community members to come in for a complimentary hearing assessment to see if they have a hearing loss and are potentially at risk for type 2 diabetes.