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What Is Diabetes?
Your doctor may have recently advised you have diabetes. Or
you are overweight and you have discovered you may be at risk of
diabetes. Others may have a friend or family member who has been
diagnosed with the disease. Just what does diabetes mean and how
does it affect your lifestyle?
Diabetes means that your blood glucose (often called blood
sugar) is too high. Your blood always has some glucose in it
because your body needs glucose for energy to keep you going. But
too much glucose in the blood isn't good for your health.
How do you get high blood glucose?
Glucose comes from the food you eat and is also made in your
liver and muscles. Your blood carries the glucose to all the
cells in your body. Insulin is a chemical (a hormone) made by the
pancreas. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood. Insulin
helps the glucose from food get into your cells. If your body
doesn't make enough insulin or if the insulin doesn't work the
way it should, glucose can't get into your cells. It stays in
your blood instead. Your blood glucose level then gets too high,
causing pre-diabetes or diabetes.
What is pre-diabetes?
Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are
higher than normal but are not high enough for a diagnosis of
diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are at increased risk for
developing type 2 diabetes and for heart disease and stroke. The
good news is if you have pre-diabetes, you can reduce your risk
of getting diabetes. With modest weight loss and moderate
physical activity, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes and
even return to normal glucose levels.
What are the signs of diabetes?
The signs of diabetes are:
· being very thirsty
· urinating often
· feeling very hungry or tired
· losing weight without trying
· having sores that heal slowly
· having dry, itchy skin
· losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your
feet
· having blurry eyesight
You may have had one or more of these signs before you found
out you had diabetes. Or you may have had no signs at all. A
blood test to check your glucose levels will show if you have
pre-diabetes or diabetes.
What kind of diabetes do you have?
People can get diabetes at any age. Type 1 diabetes,
formerly called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes,
is usually first diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young
adults. In this form of diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas
no longer make insulin because the body's immune system has
attacked and destroyed them.
Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes taking insulin shots or
using an insulin pump, making wise food choices, being physically
active, taking aspirin daily (for some), and controlling blood
pressure and cholesterol.
Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes
or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is the most common form of
diabetes. People can develop type 2 diabetes at any age-even
during childhood. This form of diabetes usually begins with
insulin resistance, a condition in which fat, muscle, and liver
cells do not use insulin properly.
At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by
producing more insulin. In time, however, it loses the ability to
secrete enough insulin in response to meals. Being overweight and
inactive increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
Treatment includes using diabetes medicines, making wise food
choices, being physically active, taking aspirin daily, and
controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.
Why do you need to take care of your diabetes? After
many years, diabetes can lead to serious problems in your eyes,
kidneys, nerves, and gums and teeth. But the most serious problem
caused by diabetes is heart disease. When you have diabetes, you
are more than twice as likely as people without diabetes to have
heart disease or a stroke.
If you have diabetes, your risk of a heart attack is the same
as someone who has already had a heart attack. Both women and men
with diabetes are at risk. You may not even have the typical
signs of a heart attack.
You can reduce your risk of developing heart disease by
controlling your blood pressure and blood fat levels. If you
smoke, talk with your doctor about quitting. Remember that every
step toward your goals helps!
Later in this article, we'll tell you how you can try to
prevent or delay long-term problems. The best way to take care of
your health is to work with your health care team to keep your
blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol in your target
range.
How is weight loss important?
If you have diabetes and are overweight, even a moderate
reduction in weight can have a positive benefit to your health
and possibly blood pressure and cholesterol. If you are
overweight or obese and don't have diabetes, you have added risk
of developing the disease.
How can I tell if I am overweight?
There are several methods to determine a healthy body weight.
The simplest is to measure around your waist. Men who are greater
than 94 cm (37 inches) and women who are greater than 80cm (32
inches) are overweight. Another method is the Body Mass Index
which takes into account your height, weight and gender. If your
BMI is greater than 25 you are considered overweight. If it is
greater than 30, you are considered obese.
Kim Beardsmore is a weight loss consultant whose business
operates across 60 countries. This world renowned, medically
approved program will give you results you'll love and all the
support you need! Estimate your healthy body weight, tons of
recipes, articles, free newsletter and more at http://weight-loss-health.com.au
MORE RESOURCES:
Biodel's diabetes drug VIAject meets goalsReuters - 1 hour agoO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) diabetes drug VIAject is as effective as Eli Lilly and Co's (LLY.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Humulin ... |
Diabetes - Google News
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