Some Interesting Facts About Diabetes
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT DIABETES
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month in the United States, and the date of November 14 was chosen by the United Nations as World Diabetes Day. The United Nations passed a resolution in 2006 urging world governments to raise diabetes awareness, implement national policies for the care and treatment of diabetes, and to encourage education for those with diabetes. Presently, 24 million people in the United States have diabetes, and at least 57 million have pre-diabetes. It is estimated that there are at least 246 million people worldwide with diabetes, making diabetes as large a worldwide medical threat as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
Diabetes mellitus, simplified to diabetes, is a medical condition which occurs when the body either does not produce enough insulin, or when the body does not respond properly to insulin found in the body. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that enables cells to turn glucose into energy. When the body does not make enough insulin, or responds poorly to the produced insulin in the body, glucose accumulates in the blood causing several physical complications including diabetes.
There are three types of diabetes. These types are Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes results from the body’s inability to produce insulin. Estimates show that 5-10 % of diabetics have Type 1 diabetes, and these people must take insulin injections to regulate insulin levels n the body. The majorities of diabetics have Type 2 diabetes resulting from insulin resistance and this is often combined with insulin deficiency in the body. Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women who have never been diagnosed with diabetes, but who have elevated levels of glucose or blood sugar levels during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes affects around 4% of pregnant women, usually resulting in high birth weights for their children, and may be a precursor to Type 2 diabetes following birthing.
All forms of diabetes are treatable with insulin and healthy lifestyle habits, but there is no cure. Gestational diabetes often resolves after pregnancy, but this form is sometimes a warning for the mother that she may need to be aware of having pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes occurs in individuals who have blood glucose levels that are elevated higher than normal, but not high enough levels for a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.
Some of the most common symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, increased thirst, significant weight loss with normal or even increased eating, mental fatigue, vision changes, ketoacidosis, and physical inertia. The conclusive diagnosis of diabetes is done through testing of the blood glucose concentration. There is research data showing a genetic predisposition to diabetes, and some genetic diseases have diabetes as a secondary characteristic, such as cystic fibrosis and myotonic dystrophy. In addition, diabetes is correlated with other medical syndromes, such as hyperglycemia, heart attack, stroke, neuropathy, poor wound healing, loss of vision, fungal infections, and renal failure. There is an increased risk of diabetes in some ethnic minorities, such as Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics.
The medical management of all types of diabetes includes patient education, dietetic control and support, exercise, self monitoring of blood glucose levels, weight loss, and pro-active health maintenance. In addition to all of these strategies, people with Type 1 diabetes need to have insulin injections and learn how to monitor and administer insulin for themselves. Diets low in carbohydrates and saturated fats, avoidance of alcohol intake, maintaining an average body weight for size and age, eating sufficient fiber from whole grains, and exercise have been shown to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetics from all walks of life can experience a healthy lifestyle with patient education, physician and nutritionist support, and proper medical maintenance. Some of the most well known diabetics who can serve as healthy role models are Olympian Bob Beamon, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, tennis champion Billie Jean King, Los Angeles Angels pitcher David Wells, singers Patti LaBelle, Bret Michaels, and Nick Jonas, and actors Mary Tyler Moore and Halle Berry, to name just a few.
For more information, go to the American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org, or to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, www.jdrf.org.
