Jannette M. Dufour, Ph.D.
Are you tired after a long day at work? Do you feel like eating a high-calorie, fatty meal or dessert while sitting on the couch watching television? Instead, you should grab a healthy, low-calorie snack and go for a walk. It will make you feel better and decrease your chances of developing diabetes.
Chances are you or somebody you know has diabetes. In fact it would be difficult to find someone who is not affected by diabetes in some way.
Currently 8.3 percent of the population, or 25.8 million people, in the U.S. has diabetes. This percentage is even higher for minorities and the elderly. Diabetes has been found in 12.6 percent of African-Americans, 11.8 percent of Hispanics and 26.9 percent of seniors.
Unfortunately, these numbers are on the rise. It is estimated that 1 in 3 children born in 2000 or later will develop diabetes and half of African American or Hispanic individuals will develop diabetes in their lifetime if current unhealthy lifestyle trends do not change.
What is diabetes?
After a meal is digested, most of it is converted into glucose (sugar). The glucose is then absorbed, causing blood glucose levels to rise. In response a hormone called insulin is produced by the islet cells of the pancreas and released into to the blood stream where it lowers blood glucose levels. The glucose is used by cells as an energy source. When someone has diabetes mellitus, they are either unable to produce insulin or the insulin produced does not function properly. Without insulin, blood glucose levels rise to dangerous levels that can lead to serious health problems.
Diabetes can cause severe, long-term complications such as heart disease and stroke. It is the leading cause of kidney failure, blindness and foot or lower-leg amputations as a result of a nontraumatic injury. Overall this results in a decreased quality of life and life expectancy. Diabetes is the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S.
There are two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune cells that normally protect from infection instead attack the insulin-secreting islet cells of the pancreas. Once these cells are killed, they are unable to make insulin, which is needed to regulate blood sugar or glucose levels. Type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed in children or young adults and is treated with insulin replacement therapy (insulin injections).
Type 2 diabetes is attributed to a decrease in the production of insulin and/or insulin resistance. It is typically diagnosed in adults and is more likely to occur in overweight individuals. Unfortunately with the rise in obesity Type 2 diabetes is now increasing in children and young adults. This is a serious concern since the longer a person has diabetes, the more severe the complications. Treatment for Type 2 diabetes includes lifestyle modifications to increase exercise and lose weight as well as insulin injection therapy and/or oral medications that increase insulin secretion and decrease blood glucose levels.
Risk factors associated with Type 2 diabetes include age (over 45), being overweight, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, family members with diabetes or ethnicity (African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian). It is thought that the increase in Type 2 diabetes is due to an increase in the number obese and sedentary population along with an increased lifespan of elderly individuals with diabetes. On a positive note, if you have diabetes or are at risk of developing diabetes, losing 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can decrease the symptoms or your chances of developing diabetes, respectively.
According to the American Diabetes Association, signs and symptoms of diabetes include:
? Frequent urination
? Unusual thirst
? Extreme hunger
? Unusual weight loss
? Extreme fatigue and Irritability
Individuals with Type 2 diabetes may also have: frequent infections, blurred vision, cuts/bruises that are slow to heal, tingling/numbness in the hands/feet and recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections. If you have these symptoms you should contact your doctor for more information.
JANNETTE M. DUFOUR, Ph.D., is an associate professor and the associate dean for research at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine department of cell biology and biochemistry.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.