Diabetes is the fastest-growing disease in human
history! As many as 29.1 million Americans have diabetes, costing
Americans $200 billion annually to treat; more than AIDS and every form of
Cancer combined! For most people, diabetes is preventable,
treatable, and even reversible. Diabetes is a group of diseases
which
disrupts the way the body uses digested food for growth and energy. In
diabetes, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the body
cells do not respond to the insulin that is
produced; as a result, glucose cannot enter the body's cells.
Know the Terms Move Mouse over Terms to View Definitions:
Diabetes Mellitus is a group of diseases characterized
by persistently high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia).
In diabetes, the pancreas either produces little or
no insulin, or the body cells do not respond to the
insulin that is produced; this prevents glucose from
entering and being used by cells of the body
Blood Sugar and Energy:
When food is digested glucose is released into the
bloodstream and is available to all body cells.
Insulin, a fat soluble hormone secreted by the
pancreas, attaches to a cell wall "unlocking" the
cell to allow glucose to enter and be used as energy.
Type 1 Diabetes:
Type 1 Diabetes, or Insulin Dependent
Diabetes, is an autoimmune disease in
which an individual's immune system attacks and destroys
healthy insulin making cells (beta cells) in the
pancreas; this prevents the production and secretion of
Insulin. Without Insulin, sugar cannot enter a cell and
blood sugar levels become permanently elevated.
Individuals with Type 1 Diabetes require outside
sources of daily insulin in the form of injections or
infusions.
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and
young adults, and was previously known as juvenile
diabetes. Only 5% of people with diabetes are Type 1.
Type 2 Diabetes:
Type 2 Diabetes, or Non-Insulin Dependent
Diabetes, is a metabolic disorder in which the
pancreas secretes insufficient insulin, or the body
cells become resistant to insulin (insulin resistance)
preventing cells from accessing blood sugar.
Type 2 Diabetes accounts for 90-95 percent of al
diabetes cases.
Risk factors surrounding Type 2 Diabetes are
both controllable and non-controllable:
Uncontrollable Risk Factors:
(see Talk'n Numbers below)
Age:
Ethnicities
Biological Family (Genetics)
Biological
Controllable Risk Factors:
Body Fat (visceral or omental fat deep
within the abdomen)
Eating Habits
Habits of Physical Activity
Sleep Patterns
Levels of Stress
Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels.
Gestational Diabetes:
Gestational Diabetes develops during pregnancy
(gestation).
It is thought that pregnancy hormones can block
insulin from doing its job. When this happens, glucose
levels may increase in a pregnant woman's blood.
Blood sugar levels usually return to normal soon
after delivery.
However, women who have had gestational diabetes are
at increased risk for future type 2 diabetes.
American Diabetes Association estimates that
gestational diabetes affects 18% of pregnancies.
Pre-Diabetes:
Pre-Diabetes is defined as blood glucose levels that
are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be
diagnosed as diabetes.
Much like having pre-cancerous skin cells removed to
prevent cancer, Pre-Diabetes represents an opportunity
to alter lifestyle or behavior to prevent diabetes, or
at least delay its onset.
An estimated 79 million people in the United States
have Pre-Diabetes.(American Diabetic Association)
Metabolic Syndrome:
Metabolic Syndrome, formerly known as Syndrome X, is
a group of risk factors that affects as many as 47
million Americans, many of whom, don't even know it.
The list of health problems that metabolic syndrome
can lead to is long and concerning:
Metabolic Syndrome doubles a person's risk of both Heart Attack
and Stroke (Cardiovascular Disease)
Type 2 Diabetes
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS)
Fatty liver disease
Cholesterol gallstones
Asthma
Diagnosing Metabolic Syndrome consists of
Assessing a Cluster of Five Primary Factors. In
addition to these five factors, increasing concern has
been given to the level of C-Reactive Protein in a
person's blood; indicating the presence of inflammation.
Abdominal Obesity is
the most obvious mark of metabolic syndrome,
specifically around the waistline (apple shape).
For Men, a waistline of 40 inches or more is
considered high risk.
For Women, a waistline of 35 inches or more
is high risk.
Elevated Blood Pressure is
another characteristic of metabolic syndrome.
(≥130/85 may be a risk factor).
High Blood Triglycerides (or
blood fats) also puts you at risk. Anything above
normal, (healthy level 150 mg/dL) is a marker of
metabolic syndrome.
Low HDL (good) Cholesterol is
an important factor in diagnosing metabolic
syndrome.
For men, low HDL is below 40 mg/dL.
For women, low HDL is below50 mg/dL.
Insulin Resistance or High Blood
Sugar Levels is the defining risk
factor for metabolic syndrome.
If your body is not able to process blood
sugar efficiently, or if your fasting blood
glucose level is at or above 110 mg/dL, then it
is likely that you have insulin resistance.
Signs Symptoms:
Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its
symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that
the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment
can decrease the chance of developing the complications
of diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
Frequent urination
Unusual thirst
Extreme hunger
Unusual weight loss (caused by unused
calories or glucose passing in the urine)
Extreme fatigue and Irritability
Blurred vision
Type 2 Diabetes(Often people with type 2
diabetes have no symptoms)
Total: 29.1 million children and adults in the United States (9.3% of
the population have diabetes)
Diagnosed: 21 million people
Undiagnosed: 8.1 million people
Pre-diabetes: 86 million people
New Cases: 1.7 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed in people
aged 20 years and older in 2012
Under 20 years of Age
208,000, or 0.25% of all people in this age group have diabetes
About 1 in every 400 children and adolescents has diabetes
Age 20 Years or Older
28.9 million, or 12.3% of all people in this age group have diabetes
Age 65 Years or Older
11.2 million, or 25.9% of all people in this age group have diabetes
Men
15.5 million, or 13.6% of all men aged 20 years or older have diabetes
Women
13.4 million, or 11.2% of all women aged 20 years or older have diabetes
Race and Ethnic Differences in prevalence of diagnosed
diabetes
7.6% of non-Hispanic whites
9.0% of Asian Americans
13.2% of non-Hispanic blacks
15.9% of American Indians/Alaska Natives
12.8% of Hispanics
Among Hispanics rates were:
9.3% for Cubans
13.9% for Mexican Americans
14.8% for Puerto Ricans.
Morbidity and Mortality
In 2010, diabetes was listed as the underlying cause on 69,071 death
certificates and was listed as a contributing factor on an additional
164,980 death certificates. This means that diabetes contributed to a total
of 234,051 deaths.
Know Your Numbers
Common Diagnostic Tests for Diabetes:
A1C: Test that measures a person's average
blood glucose level over the past 2 to 3 months. Hemoglobin (HEE-mo-glo-bin)
is the part of a red blood cell that carries oxygen to the cells and
sometimes joins with the glucose in the bloodstream. Also called
hemoglobin A1C or glycosylated (gly-KOH-sih-lay-ted) hemoglobin, the
test shows the amount of glucose that sticks to the red blood cell,
which is proportional to the amount of glucose in the blood.
Fasting Blood Glucose Test (FBGT): Also
called a fasting plasma glucose, or FPG test, this exam measures
blood glucose levels after you've gone without food for at least
eight hours (usually overnight). This test is used to diagnose
pre-diabetes and diabetes. It is also used to monitor people with
diabetes.
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): The oral glucose
tolerance test is given by a health care professional after an
overnight fast. A blood sample is taken, then the patient drinks a
high-glucose beverage. Blood samples are taken at intervals for 2 to
3 hours. Test results are compared with a standard and show how the
body uses glucose over time.
Thoughts for Living
Learning that you have borderline Diabetes or
Pre-diabetes can be shocking. But there's an upside to
this wakeup call - you have time to make a Lifestyle-U-Turn
that can prevent full-blown diabetes - along with its
devastating
consequences. Consequences such as heart attack, stroke, nerve
damage, vision loss, kidney failure, and even limb amputation
(diabetes alters circulation, preventing small injuries from healing). Making small lifestyle changes can
have a big impact on your health and prevent Diabetes. Let's get
started!
Control Your Weight:
Excess weight is the single most important cause of
type 2 diabetes.
Being overweight increases the chances of
developing type 2 diabetes seven fold.
Losing just 7-10 percent of your current weight
can cut your chances of developing type 2 diabetes
in half.
Contact your campus Wellness Director or Fitness
Center Staff today.
Food Can Kill or Cure:
Reduce Your Intake of Processed Foods
Along with a multitude of chemicals (words that
we cannot pronounce), most processed foods are high
in sugar, salt, or both.
Pump Up the Fiber
High fiber foods (fruits, veggies, whole grains) can cut your diabetes
risk by 24% or more.
As the non-digestible part of plant foods, fiber
keeps food moving along the digestive track; it
delays sugar absorption, helping to better control
blood sugar levels.
The average person should eat between 25-35
grams of fiber each day. Most Americans eat about
half that amount.
Cut Your Sugar Consumption
These include anything ending in -ose (like
sucrose, dextrose, glucose, maltose, and fructose)
as well as sugar alcohols (these end in -ol, such as
sorbitol).
Even natural sugars, such as honey and molasses,
are still sugar, so you should also keep them to
fewer than 4 grams per serving, unless it's pure
fruit (because fruit loaded with nutrients).
Syrups (maple, corn, blueberry) are also simple
sugars, so stay away from those, too.
Take time to Read Product Labels! If sugar is
listed in the first five items on the package
ingredients list, steer clear.
Most "fat-free" packaged foods
increase the sugar content when reducing fat!
Stop Drinking Soda
Strong evidence indicates that sugar-sweetened
soft drinks contribute to the development of type 2
diabetes.
The Nurses' Health Study explored this
connection by following the health of more than
90,000 women for eight years.
The nurses who said they had one or more
servings a day of a sugar-sweetened soft drink
or fruit punch were nearly twice as likely to
have developed type 2 diabetes during the study
than those who rarely had these beverages.
Get Control of Your Portion Sizes
Food portions in America have doubled or tripled
over the last 20 years, a key factor that is
contributing to the high levels of Obesity and
Diabetes in children and adults.
Most American dinners include a
meat-based main course which takes up half of a dinner plate.
At least half of the plate should be produce.
The
other half can be divided between protein, (e.g. lean
chicken, fish, beans) and high-fiber starches, (whole-wheat pasta
or potatoes with the skin).
No Processed Meats
The nitrites and saturated fats in processed
meats (hot dogs, knockwurst, bacon, sausage) boost
diabetes risk by 19% (and fuel cancer and heart
troubles, too.)
Fiber, Fiber, Fiber (With Every Meal)
The term fiber refers to carbohydrates that
cannot be digested, thus, has no caloric value (zero
calories).
Fiber is present in all plants that are eaten
for food, including fruits, vegetables, grains,
legumes, and nuts.
Several large studies, including more than
700,000 men and women, found that eating an
extra 2 servings of whole grains a day decreased
the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21 percent.
Fiber is commonly classified into two
categories: those that don't dissolve in water
(insoluble fiber) and those that do (soluble fiber).
Insoluble fiber. Type of
fiber that promotes the movement of material
through your digestive system and increases
stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who
struggle with constipation or irregular stools.
Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many
vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber. This type of
fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like
material. It can help lower blood cholesterol
and glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in
oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits,
carrots, barley and psyllium
Daily Fiber Recommendations:
American Dietetic Association: 25-30 grams
American Diabetic Association: 25-50 grams
(rich in soluble fiber)
American Heart Association: 25-30 grams
(rich in soluble fiber)
Move Your Body:
One of the most effective ways to lower
your risk of diabetes is to be physically active. You don't
have to join a gym (unless you want to!), just get your body
moving and your heart pumping; for at least 30 minutes
a day, 5 days a week. Exercise ramps up fat burning and
improves insulin sensitivity, which helps your body use
glucose efficiently. So, make time in your schedule to run,
bike or even dance. Just be sure you get a mix of strength,
stamina, and flexibility into your exercise routine.
Reduce Stress and Get Your Sleep:
Both unmanaged stress and lack of sleep impact the absorption
of blood sugar.
Getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night
doubles diabetes risk, as does uncontrolled stress.
Develop the habit of getting to bed earlier
Exercise helps to blow off steam and reduce
blood sugar
For Tips and additional information, see your
campus Wellness Director.
Know the Risk Factors:
Although healthy lifestyle changes can go a long way
toward preventing diabetes, it's important to be aware
of aspects in your life that are uncontrollable, such as
family history, age, and ethnic background.
Avoid the Hazards of Habit:
Smokers are roughly 50 percent more likely to
develop diabetes than nonsmokers, and heavy smokers have
an even higher risk.
Keep Alcohol Consumption Moderate.
Understand the Glycemic Index The
Glycemic index, or
GI, is a system that ranks the potential of a food to raise
your blood sugar level, relative to pure glucose. Pure
glucose is arbitrarily assigned a score of 100; foods that
score below 55 are considered low-GI foods, foods that score
between 55 and 69 are medium-GI foods and foods that score
above 70 are considered high-GI foods and will rapidly spike
your blood sugar.
