More than a quarter of Americans have diabetes or prediabetes, and many don't know it.
The next time you're in a mall, or in a theater, or at a ball game, take a look around. Then consider this: More than one in four people you see there have diabetes or prediabetes. Just as startling, of those who have diabetes, nearly a quarter don't know it. And the diabetes explosion isn't expected to stop any time soon. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the odds that a person born in 2000 will develop diabetes are about one in three. That's a huge percentage of our population that faces the health risks of a disease that, if left untreated, can lead to serious complications.
Diabetes 101
There are three basic types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational. In all three cases, the body's blood sugar level can climb too high because the body is not making enough insulin or it's using insulin improperly. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body remove sugar from the blood and burn it for energy.
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. If you have it, you need a daily dose of insulin to live. The cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, but research suggests genetic and environmental factors may be part of the equation. While a healthy lifestyle is important in managing type 1 diabetes, the disease is not caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.
Type 2 diabetes typically strikes adults and often starts as insulin resistance. Doses of insulin are not always required, but can be. Obesity, inactivity, and age are primary risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, with childhood obesity on the rise, more and more children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes affects some women during pregnancy. It typically goes away following pregnancy, but can be a warning sign that a woman is at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Of the three forms, type 2 is by far the most widespread, affecting some 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes.
Steps you can take
While diabetes is linked to a wide range of complications ranging from nerve damage and blindness to heart disease and stroke, there is good news: it can be controlled—or even prevented.
"Diabetes is one of the very few diseases for which we have very effective therapies that essentially work," explains Dr. Ken Snow, Acting Chief of Adult Diabetes at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. "In many serious illnesses, you take the medication and hope it works. Whereas in diabetes, our therapies work. We can control blood sugars."
Two of the best therapies, Dr. Snow says, are maintaining a healthy weight and keeping active. Similarly, a healthy diet and exercise can help prevent you from getting diabetes in the first place. That's the case even if you have prediabetes, a dangerous condition characterized by above normal blood sugar levels that often leads to diabetes.
"The heavier we are and the more sedentary we are, the more resistant we are to insulin and the more likely we are to get type 2 diabetes," Dr. Snow says. "So, the way to prevent it is to try to keep your weight in a good range and to stay active."
Living proof
Patricia Audette found out she had diabetes in November of 2006, a few months before she turned 55. She was surprised and overwhelmed, but determined not to go on insulin. When her blood sugar level was rising and her doctor told her insulin therapy was the next step, she knew she had to lose weight. Thanks to an improved diet and increased activity, she lost 25 pounds. Her blood sugar level came down, and insulin therapy was delayed.
"That was a great day for me and my husband," Patricia says. "I feel like I've had a second chance when it comes to diabetes."
Patricia credits her health coach, Roslyn Grant, with providing the valuable information, education, and support she needed to make healthy changes. Roslyn is a dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. Patricia says it's important to reach out for help from health professionals like Roslyn, and to take action on your own.
"You need to educate yourself because it's a part of you and it's real," Patricia says. "You have to grab the bull by the horns and just say 'This is what I have to do,' because the longer you wait, the worse it's going to get."
