1 in 4 Diabetics Are Unaware of their Condition in the U.S.
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Diabetes in America is still on the rise, but what’s even more astonishing is the number of people living with the disease that do not know they have it.
According to the latest data released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, 1 in 4 Americans currently have diabetes and are unaware of their disease. That’s 3 million more than 2011, according to the CDC’s 2011 diabetes statistics.
Pre-Diabeties
The number of pre-diabetics is quite high as well. Pre-diabetes refers to a condition in individuals whose blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not quite in the range that qualifies as actual diabetes. The CDC estimates that 15% to 30% of people with pre-diabetes will develop full-blown diabetes within five years if they do not take preventative measures, such as exercising and losing weight.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition with the ability to bring on a slew of other health issues, ranging from blindness to kidney failure. Of course, factors such as your personal health history, risk factors such as weight, and genetic pre-disposition do increase your chances of developing diabetes if you’re not careful to take the right precautions. Type-2 diabetes is usually treated with oral medications, normally taken before, during or after meals. Severe cases still require insulin injections every day in conjunction with prescription medications.
It’s critical to get your blood sugar under control as quickly as possible if you are considered at risk for diabetes. The sooner you take action, the greater your chance of preventing or reducing the risk of long-term complications from the disease. The American Diabetes Association and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists agree that your treatment plan should be changed within 2 to 3 months if the A1C goal set by your doctor has not been reached.
Symptoms of Diabetes
If you’re not sure if you would be considered at risk for diabetes, here are a few symptoms to look for:
• Urinating often
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry, even if you are eating often
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Slow healing cuts and bruises
Read More: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/symptoms/
