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Diabetes Overview, Prevention and Lowering Your Risks
Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way our body digests food. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, a form of sugar. After your body digests food,
glucose passes to the bloodstream where it is used by cells for growth and energy.
Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, must be present in order for glucose
to get to cells.
When we eat, the pancreas produces the right amount of hormones (insulin) in order
to move glucose from the blood to the cells. For people with diabetes, the pancreas
produces little or no insulin. In effect, glucose builds up in the blood and passes
out of the body through urine, causing the body to lose its main source of fuel.
Approximately 18.2 million people in the U.S. (6.3% of the population) have diabetes.
Out of the 18.2 million, about 5.2 have not yet been diagnosed. An additional 1.3
million people aged 20 or older are diagnosed with diabetes each year. Worldwide,
more than 183 million people have this disease. Diabetes is one of the leading causes
of death and disability in the U.S. Approximately 65% of deaths among people with
diabetes are attributed to heart disease and strokes, thus it is likely to be underreported.
The three main types of diabetes are:
• Type 1 Diabetes
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Gestational Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes, also known as Juvenile or Juvenile on-set Diabetes, is an autoimmune
disease (a disease that causes the body’s immune system to turn against part of
its own body). This autoimmune disease, which accounts for 5% to 10 % of diagnosed
diabetes in the U.S., causes the immune system to attack the insulin producing pancreas.
Therefore the pancreas is unable to produce insulin. A person with Type 1 Diabetes
must take insulin on a daily basis in order to live.
Some of the symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes are: increased thirst, increased urination,
constant hunger, blurred vision, weight loss and fatigue. These symptoms develop
over a short period of time.
If this disease is not diagnosed or treated properly
with insulin, this can cause someone to lapse into a diabetic coma, called diabetic
ketoacidosis.
Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes which accounts for approximately
90% of all cases. This form of diabetes is associated with:
• Obesity
• Family history
• Old Age
• Physical Inactivity
• Ethnicity
With Type 2 Diabetes, a condition called insulin resistance occurs; the pancreas
is able to produce insulin, but the body is not able to use the insulin effectively.
This condition usually takes several years to develop until insulin production decreases.
This also causes glucose to build up in the blood preventing the body to efficiently
use its main source of fuel.
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes develop more gradually than Type 1. These symptoms include
fatigue, nausea, thirst, weight loss, frequent infections, slow healing of cuts/wounds,
and frequent urination. Some people do not have symptoms.
Gestational Diabetes develops during pregnancy. It is most common in African Americans,
Hispanic Americans, and those with family history of diabetes.
Pre-diabetes is a state between “normal” and “diabetes”. With pre-diabetes, a person
is at risk of developing diabetes and heart attacks. Some studies suggest that weight
loss and exercise can prevent or delay diabetes.
The amount of people to be diagnosed with diabetes is likely to increase due to
many reasons. A large segment of the population is growing and an increasing amount
of Americans are overweight and are inactive. The disease leads to blindness, heart
and blood vessel disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, amputations and stroke.
Although Type 1 Diabetes and Gestrointestinal Diabetes can not be prevented, healthy
living is an important factor in preventing Type 2 Diabetes. There is a definite
link between obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, so controlling your weight with a healthy
diet and regular exercise can prevent the onset of this disease.
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