November 14 is World Diabetes Day, a time to call attention to this ever-growing, serious health problem.
Diabetes statistics
In the US and elsewhere, diabetes has reached epidemic proportions. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- 29.1 million (1 in 10) Americans have diabetes
- 8.1 million (1 in 3) people with diabetes don’t realize they have it
- 79 million (1 in 4) Americans have pre-diabetes, or borderline diabetes, meaning they are at increased risk to develop type 2 diabetes.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by high concentrations of glucose in the blood.
The most prevalent types of diabetes are:
- Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough of the hormone insulin. Most type 1 diabetics depend on regular insulin injections or receive insulin via an insulin pump. The cause of type 1 diabetes is thought to be genetic. Type 1 diabetes affects only 5 percent of diabetes sufferers.
- Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the body’s inefficient use of insulin. The vast majority–95 percent–of diabetics have this type of diabetes. While there is a genetic component, type 2 diabetes is influenced greatly by being overweight and a lack of physical activity. It should be noted that type 2 diabetes used to be called “adult onset diabetes” as it takes years to develop. Sadly, today many kids have such unhealthy lifestyles that type 2 diabetes can no longer be characterized as an “adult” disease.
- Gestational diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar in pregnant women who have never had diabetes before. As many as nine percent of pregnant women are affected by gestational diabetes.
What causes diabetes?
In order to understand how diabetes develops, it’s important to know a little about how the body uses food for energy.
When our stomachs digest food, any carbohydrates (sugars or starches) in the food are broken down into a type of sugar called glucose, also known as blood sugar. Glucose is the body’s main fuel source. With the help the hormone insulin, it enters our cells, where it is either stored or used to produce energy.
Normally, our bodies are able to balance our blood sugar levels, insulin output and energy needs. For instance, if you haven’t eaten for awhile, your blood sugar and insulin levels will drop. However, after you’ve eaten a meal your blood sugar and insulin levels will rise.
But in people with diabetes, this is not the case; blood sugar levels stay high. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas responds by manufacturing even more insulin. Unfortunately, this is ineffective for several reasons, primarily the development of insulin resistance, a condition in which cells become less responsive to insulin. Another major factor contributing to insulin resistance is abdominal adiposity (also known as central obesity, “apple shape” or “beer gut”).
Chronically high blood sugar levels can wreak havoc throughout the body, leading to serious complications including heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, stroke, immune suppression, nerve damage, and, in some cases amputation or even death.
Prevention and management
Whether you have pre-diabetes or diabetes, lifestyle changes can go a long way to halt the 
progression to type 2 diabetes or to manage its complications.
Making better food choices is an obvious strategy for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and achieving weight loss. A major federally-funded study found weight loss–just 5 to 7 percent of a person’s total body weight–plus regular, moderate activity (30 minutes, 5 days a week) to be effective in the prevention and management of diabetes.
Increased fitness is beneficial for people with pre-diabetes and diabetes, for a number of reasons. Exercise calls for your body to produce energy. During moderate exercise, your muscles take up increased glucose, thus lowering the amount in your blood. It also improves circulation, thus helping to mitigate the risk of damage to your eyes, heart, lungs or nerves.
Walking, dancing, swimming, cycling and even moving the lawn are all good moderate exercises. Check in with your doctor before beginning an exercise program, however moderate, especially if you have been diagnosed with diabetes.
If you’re concerned about your risk for diabetes or how to managing the disease, let your Graybill doctor know. As well, Graybill Medical Group offers a free class entitled, “Living with Diabetes: Knowledge is Power.” Find out more at www.graybill.org/classes.
Your Partner In Health,
Graybill Medical Group
Living with Diabetes: Knowledge is Power
Learn more about how to manage your diabetes and live a healthier life with free classes offered at Graybill’s Escondido, Fallbrook, and Oceanside Offices, in both English and Spanish. Certified Diabetes Educators and a great support group can help you with tips on meal planning, medication management, and more! To learn more, visit www.graybill.org/classes.