Statistics show almost one of 10 Michiganders have been diagnosed with diabetes but medical professionals believe the number may be much higher.

November is American Diabetes Month, and doctors warn thousands more with symptoms have not been tested. Diabetes is a condition where the body does not produce enough of the insulin hormone.

Dr. Asha Shajahan, a family physician at Corewell Health in Novi, said the number of people with the condition is growing.

“Rates are definitely rising,” Shajahan reported. “We know that the rates of obesity are rising, and some risk factors for diabetes include things like being overweight, having gestational diabetes, or family history of diabetes users. And we know that this has been increasing throughout the United States.”

She pointed out untreated diabetes can cause kidney damage, cardiovascular disease, neuropathy and blindness. Health services say annually, diabetes costs the United States $174 billion and costs Michigan more than $9 billion per year.

Shajahan noted despite the grim statistics, if identified early enough, diabetes can be treated with medications, including insulin and a new class of drugs known as GLP-1s. But she stressed preventing it in the first place is the best way to go.

“Preventative measures include lifestyle changes and basically taking into (account) diet and exercise and then also being part of preventative programs that have coaching, lifestyle coaching, education about nutrition.”

Statistics show diabetes disproportionately affects some groups of people more than others, including some racial and ethnic groups, physically inactive or overweight people and those who have family members with the disease. Shajahan recommended screenings for all adults between the ages of 35 to 70 who are overweight.

“About 13% of U.S. adults have diabetes and about 34% have prediabetes,” Shajahan noted. “Now these are of people who actually go and get screened, so there are many people in our population that remain undiagnosed.”