Diabetes: 10 Things You Didn't Know.

Diabetes: 10 Things You Didn't Know.

With over 30 million Americans living with diabetes, it’s important to understand this disease. Diabetes is a chronic condition that’s characterized by high blood sugar levels due to the body not producing or responding to insulin. This can lead to serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage. The good news is that there are many ways to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes - from exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, or watching your blood pressure to staying physically active and eating healthy. Here are some facts you may not have known about diabetes.

Diabetes Basics

Before diving into the facts, let’s start with the basics. Diabetes is a condition in which the body either doesn’t produce or doesn’t properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels in the body.

There are two main categories of diabetes: Type 1 and type 2.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks and destroys beta cells in the pancreas, which produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body can't make enough insulin or respond to it properly (insulin resistance). There are also several other types of diabetes, caused by different things altogether.

Causes of diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, meaning that the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. It can be passed down through families or it can happen randomly.

Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is far more common and often linked to lifestyle choices such as diet and lack of exercise.

We've compiled a list of six facts you may not have known about diabetes:

Diabetes is a chronic condition. If you have diabetes, you'll need to monitor your blood glucose levels for life.

It's possible to reverse type 2 diabetes with changes to your lifestyle. If you're able to make these changes, it might be possible for you to stop taking medication entirely.

Diabetes can affect anyone at any age - although it's most commonly diagnosed in people over 40 years old.

Type 2 diabetes can often be prevented or delayed by making healthy lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

In some cases, type 1 diabetes can even be avoided if someone gets vaccinated before they're exposed to the virus that causes it.

Type 1 diabetes is typically an autoimmune disorder, meaning that a person's immune system mistakes their own pancreas' insulin-producing cells

Diabetes Complications

One of the most common complications from diabetes is nerve damage. Diabetes can cause a person to have numbness or tingling in their feet, hands, and/or legs. In some cases, a person may not be able to feel anything at all.

Diabetes also increases a person's risk for heart disease and stroke. The American Diabetes Association estimates that people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those without diabetes.

In addition, people with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts and other eye conditions as well as kidney failure.

It's important to take precautions now to reduce your risks of developing these complications from diabetes—especially since the number of Americans living with this condition is on the rise: 1 out of every 10 American adults has diabetes and 1 out of every 3 African-Americans has it!

Diabetes risk factors

- Diabetes is a chronic condition that’s characterized by high blood sugar levels due to the body not producing or responding to insulin.

- Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 95 percent of diabetes cases in the U.S., typically occurs later in life and is often tied to weight gain and physical inactivity.

- It's important to know your risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes because if you make lifestyle changes now, you may reduce your chances of developing this disease.

- Diabetes risk factors include age (increases with age), family history (a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes), race (African Americans and Latinos are at higher risk), and certain medical conditions like obesity and high blood pressure.

- Also, remember that certain groups - such as African Americans, Latinos, people over 40, overweight people, those who do not exercise regularly - have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes than others.

Ways to reduce your risk of diabetes

Eating healthy

A lot of people think that eating high-calorie food is the best way to gain weight quickly. In reality, it's actually much easier to become obese by eating too many calories because your body will be less efficient at burning them off. Eating healthy, nutritious foods in moderation can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of diabetes.

Conclusion

Diabetes is a serious and chronic disease. Understanding the causes and risks for diabetes, as well as the complications and prevention methods, can be a first step to reducing your risk and feeling more in control of your health.

The good news is that diabetes is manageable — you can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and manage type 1 diabetes with insulin and other treatments.

Knowing the basics of diabetes is just the first step to reducing your risk. Here are 10 things you didn't know about diabetes:

1. Diabetes Basics

2. Causes of diabetes

3. Diabetes Complications

4. Diabetes risk factors

5. Ways to reduce your risk of diabetes