Medical Reports: Secret Sickness

WSVN--Just like an alligator lurks, patiently waiting for its prey many men, women, and children are falling victim to a disease that attacks without warning.

Charlucienne Saintange: "It creeps up on you."

Dr. Louis Chaykin: "People walk around with the disease probably between 6 and 9 years before they're diagnosed."

The disease - type 2 diabetes - takes the lives of more people than Aids and breast cancer combined.

Dr. Lorena Lewy-Alterbaum: "We are seeing it at levels of epidemic proportions."

But what makes it even scarier is the illness was once rare in women under the age of 40, but not anymore.

Now, its ambushed an even younger generation.

Charlucienne Saintange: "I never thought this could happen to me."

Maribel Luciano: "It's scary because of the possibility it could impact my life."

Today, about 2-million people under the age of 20 are at high risk for the disease.

Maribel Luciano and Charlucienne Saintange fall in the target range.

Dr. Louis Chaykin: "The reason is because we're seeing more and more younger women who are overweight, who are sedentary."

For Maribel and Charlucienne, their weight and diet make them vulnerable.

Maribel Luciano: "I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, at anytime."

Charlucienne Saintange: "It's when I had my third child I started eating more junk food and drinking a lot of sodas."

Plus their family history puts them at risk.

Charlucienne Saintange: "It runs in my family."

Maribel Luciano: "It's so strong on my grandmother's side, she has it. My uncles have it, it's just there."

But it's not just genetics playing a role in who gets type two diabetes.

You're also at risk if you have high blood pressure, smoke, had gestational diabetes or polycistic ovarian syndrome.

Dr. Louis Chaykin: "The scary part is young people who develop diabetes in their 20's and 30's will develop heart disease in their 30's and 40's."

Belkys Nerey: "There is however a way to stop the diabetes before it gets dangerous. Exercise and eat healthy."

Dr. Louis Chaykin: "If you lose only 7% of your body weight and you exercise 30 minutes 5 days a week you can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes by 58%."

Today, Maribel and Charlucienne are determined to not let this secret sickness get the best of them.

Maribel Luciano: "The changes in my life since learning I could be predisposed to diabetes is diet and exercise and my lifestyle. I have to watch what I eat no bread, no rice."

Charlucienne Saintange: "I feel like I have a lot to live for, myself, my kids my family my friends. I have to take charge of my life so I don't become diabetic. If I don't know one else will."

You can easily determine if you're at risk for type 2 diabetes, just ask your doctor to test your blood sugar.

Contact: jsalameh@wsvn.com