Combatting the high rate of diabetes in the Latino community, the American Diabetes Assn. is offering free screenings for the disease from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Olvera Street Plaza.

The screenings are part of the seventh annual Unidos Contra la Diabetes (United Against Diabetes) health fair. The fair's organizers, the diabetes association's Latino programs committee, hope to increase awareness in the Latino community, where diabetes strikes one in seven.

"Not only are Latinos three times more likely to have or develop diabetes than the general population, they are also more likely to develop severe diabetes complications such as blindness, heart attacks, strokes and amputations," said Dr. James Peace, chairman of the board of directors of the association.

According to the organization, 450,000 of the 3.3 million Latinos living in Los Angeles County have diabetes, half of them undiagnosed.