Diabetes: Good News, Bad News

Diabetes can produce devastating effects – blindness, nerve and kidney disease, amputation, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. Nearly 195,000 Americans will die each year from its complications. And the incidence is growing rapidly in the U.S.

The CDC predicts that unless we begin reversing this course, a third of babies born in 2000 will develop diabetes. Men diagnosed with diabetes at age 60 will lose seven years of life and women will lose 9.5 years as well as many years of lower quality of life. That is the bad news.
The good news is we know more about diabetes, and that can help us to control and even prevent it.

Learn the facts:

• With diabetes the body does not produce or properly use the hormone insulin. We need insulin to move glucose (from food) out of the bloodstream and into the cells.
• In type 1 diabetes, the body can’t produce insulin. It typically occurs during childhood and requires daily insulin injections.
• In type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced, but cells resist its action, resulting in high blood-glucose levels. This can cause frequent thirst and urination, blurred vision, fatigue and other symptoms that are easy to ignore, but need evaluation if they persist.
• Type 2 accounts for 90% of diabetes. Many of these cases are undiagnosed.
• Ethnicities more vulnerable to type 2 diabetes include: African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander.
• Type 2 diabetes risk factors include: physical inactivity, being overweight, and having high blood pressure or high triglyceride levels.

More good news: You can fight diabetes without depriving yourself or knocking yourself out with exercise. The National Diabetes Prevention Program showed that study participants reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by 58% with 3 simple steps:

1. Limit dietary fat to 30% of total calories – with less than 10% of these from saturated fats.
2. Exercise 30 minutes a day – walking or other moderate exercise does the trick.
3. Lose excess weight – at least 5% to 7% of body weight or 15 pounds.

Type 2 diabetes and many of its complications are manageable and preventable with knowledge, proper health care and moderate living.

November is National Diabetes Month, a time to consider testing. Talk to your health care provider about diabetes risk once you reach age 45 – or sooner if you are overweight or have a family history or other risk factors noted above.

If you are diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes, self-care is everything. For treatment to succeed, patients need to be involved in getting well and making changes. In addition to diet and exercise measures, oral medication and daily blood tests may be required. Work with your team of health professionals who are trained to focus on different areas, from head to toe.

To learn more, visit the American Diabetes Association website for diabetes news, research and advocacy efforts as well as self-care help.

References:
“Diabetes Warnings Often Go Unheeded.” USA Today, 17 July 2006. Aetna InteliHealth 7/18/06
“Frequently Asked Questions About Nutrition.” American Diabetes Association 7/18/06
“ Diabetes on the Rise.” HealthNews, Dec 2003: p. 7.

Source:
Personal Best Publications