Diabetes

Happy 125th B-day to Sir Frederick Banting-co-discoverer of #insulin & the man voted our 4th Greatest Canadian! 11/14/16

What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism—the way the body uses or converts food for energy and growth Diabetes is a disease in which levels of blood glucose, also called blood sugar, are above normal. People with diabetes have problems converting food to energy. Normally, after a meal, the body breaks food down into glucose, which the blood carries to cells throughout the body. Cells use insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas, to help them convert blood glucose into energy.

Diabetes Almost everyone knows someone who has diabetes. An estimated 23.6 million people in the United States—7.8 percent of the population—have diabetes, a serious, lifelong condition. Of those, 17.9 million have been diagnosed, and 5.7 million have not yet been diagnosed. In 2007, about 1.6 million people ages 20 or older were diagnosed with diabetes.

Main Types of Diabetes Type 1 Type 2 Gestational diabetes Pre-diabetes

Symptoms excessive thirst Fatigue frequent illness or infections poor circulation (including tingling or numbness in the feet or hands) wounds that do not heal blurred vision unintentional weight loss Many persons with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms, and it is discovered after testing for other medical problems or through screening in persons at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes, is usually first diagnosed in children, teenagers, and young adults. In this form of diabetes, the pancreas no longer makes insulin because the body's immune system has attacked and destroyed the pancreatic cells specialized to make insulin. These insulin-producing cells are called beta cells.

Type 2 Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes, is the most common form. 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 muscle, liver, and fat cells do not use insulin properly. As a result, the body needs more insulin to help glucose enter cells to be used for energy. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin. In time, however, the pancreas loses its ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals.

Who gets diabetes? people of any age people with a family history of diabetes others at high risk for type 2 diabetes: older people, overweight and sedentary people, African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, some Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos

Gestational Diabetes Gestational diabetes is diabetes that first occurs during pregnancy. When women are pregnant, their need for insulin appears to increase, and many can develop gestational diabetes during the late stages of pregnancy. Although this form of diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born, a woman who has had it is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

What is pre-diabetes? In pre-diabetes, blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. However, many people with pre-diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. Experts disagree about the specific blood glucose level they should use to diagnose diabetes, and through the years, that number has changed. Individuals with pre-diabetes have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. With modest weight loss and moderate physical activity, people with pre-diabetes can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.

How is diabetes diagnosed? A fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test measures blood glucose in a person who has not eaten anything for at least 8 hours. This test is used to detect diabetes and pre-diabetes. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) measures blood glucose after a person fasts at least 8 hours and 2 hours after the person drinks a glucose-containing beverage. This test can be used to diagnose diabetes and pre-diabetes. A random plasma glucose test, also called a casual plasma glucose test, measures blood glucose without regard to when the person being tested last ate. This test, along with an assessment of symptoms, is used to diagnose diabetes but not pre-diabetes.

What steps can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes? A major research study, the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), confirmed that people with IGT-pre-diabetes-were able to sharply reduce their risk of developing diabetes during the study by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight through dietary changes and increased physical activity. Study participants followed a low-fat, low-calorie diet and engaged in regular physical activity, such as walking briskly for 30 minutes, five times a week. These strategies worked well for both men and women and were especially effective for participants aged 60 and older.

Treatment Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, everyone with type 1 diabetes died within a few years after diagnosis. Although insulin is not considered a cure, its discovery was the first major breakthrough in diabetes treatment.

Type 1 management Today, healthy eating, physical activity, and taking insulin are the basic therapies for type 1 diabetes. Doctors may also prescribe another type of injectable medicine. Blood glucose levels must be closely monitored through frequent blood glucose checking. People with diabetes also monitor blood glucose levels several times a year with a laboratory test called the A1C. Results of the A1C test reflect average blood glucose over a 2- to 3-month period

Type 2 Healthy eating physical activity blood glucose testing are the basic management tools for type 2 diabetes In addition, many people with type 2 diabetes require one or more diabetes medicines—pills, insulin, and other injectable medicine—to control their blood glucose levels.

Medical team a primary care provider such as an internist, a family practice doctor, or a pediatrician an endocrinologist—a specialist in diabetes care a dietitian, a nurse, and other health care providers who are certified diabetes educators—experts in providing information about managing diabetes a podiatrist—for foot care an ophthalmologist or an optometrist—for eye care

Some advances: development of quick-acting and long-acting insulins better ways to monitor blood glucose and for people with diabetes to check their blood glucose levels development of external insulin pumps that deliver insulin, replacing daily injections laser treatment for diabetic eye disease, reducing the risk of blindness successful kidney and pancreas transplantation in people whose kidneys fail because of diabetes better ways of managing diabetes in pregnant women, improving their chances of a successful outcome new drugs to treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes and better ways to manage these forms of diabetes through weight control evidence that intensive management of blood glucose reduces and may prevent development of diabetes complications

Long term effects Kidney disease/dialysis Diabetic neuropathy Vision loss/blindness Amputations Higher risk of heart disease Etc.

Prevention • Being overweight is the major and most controllable risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight may be the only treatment needed for many persons • Getting plenty of exercise and avoiding processed foods while consuming a low-fat diet rich in vegetables and whole grains can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.