It's been called a 'creeping disease,' a 'quiet illness,' even a 'silent killer.' Diabetes has a way of slowly overtaking millions of people. Did you know that you could have diabetes for as long as 15 years or more before you receive a proper diagnosis? And that a third of all Americans are pre-diabetic? Can this be prevented?

It can if you're aware of the signs. This article offers some helpful tips for recognizing diabetes, and for preventing it.

"Pre-diabetes kind of encompasses a whole group of folks that have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, they`re overweight, out of shape, just eating a lot of junk and not moving very much," Stevenson says.

If that sounds like you, listen up. You could be at risk for deadly dangers that come with diabetes.

"People with diabetes are two to three times more likely to die from heart disease," Stevenson says.

There are some things you just can't ignore.