Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
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Diabetes is a vicious and life-threatening disease. It is a condition where your blood sugar is continuously and seriously elevated (and your triglycerides are also). The excess circulating blood sugar is very destructive inflaming tissues in the heart and circulation, in the eyes, brain, kidneys, …
More than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes and 1 out of 4 of them have no idea.[1] In honor of National Diabetes Month this November, InVite® Health is urging you to take some time to understand the risk factors and preventative measures of this disease.
Diabetes is a vicious and life-threatening disease, where your blood sugar is continuously and seriously elevated (and your triglycerides are also). The excess circulating blood sugar is very destructive inflaming tissues in the heart and circulation, in the eyes, brain, kidneys, and nerve tissue leading to all manner of serious and life-threatening diseases.
This condition occurs due to various reasons, as your cells become resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin (stores sugar in your cells). However, long before full-blown diabetes occurs, at a stage referred to as pre-diabetes, your blood sugar is already modestly increased and the beginnings of damage to your kidneys, your blood vessel walls, and to your eyes is already occurring (perhaps it should be renamed early-stage diabetes); even a modest elevation in blood sugar should always be looked at seriously.
There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational. Type 1 occurs because the body cannot make its own insulin to regulate blood sugar. It is less common in comparison to Type 2 and is not preventable. Type 1 refers to an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas; it is much less common. People with Type 1 always require insulin. Type 2 occurs when the body does not use insulin well or cannot regulate the blood sugar levels with the insulin it has. Nine out of ten people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, a preventable, more common disease that occurs when the body’s cells become resistant to the effects of insulin. This results in elevated levels of sugar and triglycerides in the blood. The most common cause of Type 2 diabetes is truncal obesity or having an apple-shaped body instead of a pear-shaped one. New evidence indicates that an increase in the circulating levels of CRP (C-reactive protein), an enzyme tied into inflammation and heart disease, is a major indicator of impending diabetes. Gestational diabetes (GA) occurs during pregnancy and occurs when the body is not able to produce or use the insulin needed during pregnancy.
According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, here are the major risk factors:
To determine your risk of developing this condition, your doctor will perform a blood test after you fast for 12 hours. If your blood sugar after fasting is lower than 99, you are likely normal. However, if the blood sugar is between 100 to 125 mg/dL you have impaired fasting blood glucose and your risk of developing diabetes is increased. You are also at risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
For many individuals diet, exercise, and particular nutrients are very beneficial at this point and can help restore blood sugar levels down towards normal. Some drugs are also prescribed for this effect. If your fasting blood sugar is above 125mg/dL you are considered to have full-blown diabetes and it must be treated aggressively.
Being diagnosed with this condition means you will have to constantly be sure your body is balanced – your food consumption, activity level, medication and blood sugar levels. Here are some tips from the CDC on how to manage your diabetes on a daily basis:
Managing this condition may be tedious, but keeping a record of your treatment plans, feelings and medications could help keep it manageable. Follow your ABCs– the A1C test, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and (not) Smoking.
For more information on diabetes and how you can prevent it, visit http://www.cdc.gov/features/livingwithdiabetes/index.html.
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Diabetes is a very common illness. According to the latest data compiled in 2012, it affects 29 million Americans (1). On average, diabetes cost the United States 245 billion dollars in 2012 alone and this number seems to only be steadily increasing (2). But where …
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.
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 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.
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/