Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body cannot make or properly use
Insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps control the sugar, or glucose, in your blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for your body.
When you have diabetes, the levels of blood glucose are too high, causing symptoms such as blurred vision, frequent urination, increased thirst, unintended weight loss, slow healing sores, and feelings of hunger and tiredness.
Diabetes is a serious disease. Over time, diabetes that is not well controlled causes serious damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart.
2. How does diabetes develop?
Diabetes is a disease that prevents the body from properly converting foods into the energy needed for daily activity.
When you eat, your body changes most of the food into a form of sugar called glucose. Glucose travels through the blood stream to feed your cells. It is the main source of fuel for your body.
For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, a large organ behind the Stomach.
If your body does not make enough insulin or if the insulin doesn't work the way it should, glucose can't get into your cells. As a result, the amount of glucose in the blood increases, while the cells are starved of energy. The level of glucose in your blood then gets too high, causing diabetes.
3. How many people have diabetes?
About 18.2 million Americans, or 6.2 percent of the population, have diabetes. Thirteen million people have diagnosed diabetes, while an estimated 5.2 million people are undiagnosed. More than 8 million people 60 years or older have diabetes. This figure represents 18.3 percent of that age group.
4. What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes usually arises in children, teenagers, or young adults. In this form of diabetes, the cells of the pancreas no longer make insulin because the body's Immune system has attacked and destroyed them.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and the most common in adults over 40. However, people can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood.
Type 2 diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which the body does 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 make enough insulin in response to meals. Being overweight and inactive increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
5. Is there a type of diabetes that is associated with pregnancy?
Yes, gestational diabetes. It typically occurs during the later stages of pregnancy. Although this form of diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born, a woman who has had gestational diabetes is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Gestational diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin.
6. What causes diabetes?
At present, scientists do not know exactly what causes the body's immune system to attack the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas in people with type 1 diabetes. However, scientists believe that both Genetic factors and environmental factors are involved.
Type 2 diabetes -- the most common form -- is linked to Obesity, high blood pressure, and high Cholesterol levels. Having any one of these conditions can keep your body from making and using insulin properly, thereby increasing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
7. Who is at risk for developing type 2 diabetes?
Being over 45 years of age and overweight or obese are key risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. Other risk factors include
- having a first degree relative -- a parent, brother, or sister -- with diabetes
- being African American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino.
Risk factors include
- having gestational diabetes, or giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
- having blood pressure of 140/90 or higher, or having been told that you have high blood pressure.
Risk factors include
- having abnormal cholesterol levels, an HDL cholesterol or good cholesterol level of 35 or lower, or a triglyceride level of 250 or higher
- being inactive or exercising fewer than three times a week.
8. Can diabetes be prevented?
Yes, diabetes can be prevented in people who are at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes or have a condition called pre-diabetes.
In 2001, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases concluded a clinical trial called the Diabetes Prevention Program. A clinical trial is a research study on people to learn if a new drug or treatment is both safe and effective.
This clinical trial found that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed if you lose a small amount of weight by doing moderate physical activity. The study found that people with pre-diabetes can cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than half.
9. What is pre-diabetes?
Pre-diabetes is a condition where 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.
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.
10. Why does being overweight or obese put me at risk for developing diabetes?
Your weight affects your health in many ways. Being overweight can keep your body from making and using insulin properly. It can also cause high blood pressure. Overweight people are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as people who are not overweight. You can reduce your risk of developing this type of diabetes by losing weight and by increasing your physical activity.
11. What steps can I take to lose weight to prevent type 2 diabetes?
If you are overweight or obese, choose sensible ways to get in shape
- Avoid crash diets. Instead, eat less of the foods you usually have. Limit the amount of fat you eat.
- Increase your physical activity. Aim for at least 30 minutes of Exercise most days of the week.
- Set a reasonable weight-loss goal, such as losing 1 pound a week. Aim for a long-term goal of losing 5 to 7 percent of your total body weight.
12. Are diet and exercise beneficial even after diabetes develops?
Research has clearly shown that diet and exercise help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol in the short term. Although diet and exercise should lower the risk of developing heart disease and stroke and the other complications of diabetes, no long-term
Clinical trials have looked at this question.
A recently launched trial, the Look AHEAD study, will examine how diet and exercise affect Heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular-related death in overweight people with type 2 diabetes.
13. Can lifestyle changes help older people avoid diabetes?
The results of the Diabetes Prevention Program conducted by the National Institute on Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases showed that lifestyle changes that led to weight loss -- such as eating healthier and getting more exercise -- were effective in helping to reduce the development of diabetes in all age groups tested.
Lifestyle changes were especially effective in people aged 60 and older, reducing the development of diabetes by 71 percent. This is an important discovery because as many as 20 percent of people aged 60 and older develop diabetes.
