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 Be Aware to Protect Yourself
Are You at Risk for Diabetes?
The number of Americans with diabetes is on the rise. At least 18.2 million people have diabetes in the United States.* But almost one-third of those with diabetes don't know that they have it.* The Journal of the American Medical Association states that by the year 2050, nearly one-fifth of the U.S. population will have diabetes. The majority of those cases will be type 2 diabetes, which is typically caused by being overweight and inactive.
What Is Diabetes?
Our bodies turn most of the food we eat into glucose, or sugar, which is needed for energy. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, is used to help glucose get to the body's cells. Diabetes occurs when the body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin properly, causing sugars to build up in the blood.
There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. It occurs when the body's immune system destroys pancreatic beta cells, the only cells in the body that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes usually strikes children and young adults, but disease onset can occur at any age. It was previously known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile onset diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent form of the disease, making up 90% to 95% of all diagnosed diabetes cases. It usually begins as insulin resistance, a disorder in which the cells do not use insulin properly. The pancreas gradually loses its ability to produce insulin as the body's need for insulin increases. While it's more common among adults, type 2 diabetes is being diagnosed with increasing frequency in children and adolescents.
Watch for Symptoms
Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem harmless. Diabetes symptoms include:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Unusual weight loss
- Increased fatigue
- Irritability
- Sudden vision changes
- Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
- Sores that are slow to heal
Treatment Is Key
Early detection and treatment can help control the disease and numerous complications associated with it, including heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disorders, dental disease, and amputations.
Treatment involves a combination of lifestyle, medical and psychosocial issues. The goal of treatment is to keep blood glucose near normal levels at all times. This requires a regimen that may include a carefully managed diet, exercise, home blood glucose testing, oral medication, and/or insulin injections.
Preventive Measures May Help
While there are no known methods for preventing type 1 diabetes, research has found that lifestyle changes can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk adults. Dietary modifications and moderate intensity physical activity on a regular basis have been found to reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
For more information on diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association's web site at www.diabetes.org.
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Assess Your Risk
You may be at a higher risk for diabetes if you have any of the following risk characteristics:
- Family history of diabetes
- Low activity level
- Poor diet
- Over 45 years old
- Excess body weight (especially around the waist)
- High blood pressure
- High blood levels of triglycerides
- HDL cholesterol of less than 35
- Previously identified impaired glucose tolerance
- Previous diabetes during pregnancy or giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
- Certain ethnicity, including African-American, Hispanic-American, and American Indian.
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