November is dedicated to raising awareness for diabetes. Diabetes is a long-lasting health condition that affects how the body turns food into energy. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or uses insulin effectively. Once cells stop responding to insulin, or there isn’t enough insulin, too much sugar stays in the bloodstream. High levels of blood sugar can cause serious heart problems such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease. To help prevent diabetes and education our community members, here is what you need to know about the types of diabetes and measures people can take to prevent diabetes.
Type 1:
Approximately 5-10% of the people who have diabetes have type 1. Currently, there are no preventative measures for type 1 diabetes, but people can manage by taking insulin every day to survive. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes develop quickly and is usually diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults.
Type 2:
90-95% of people with diabetes have type 2. With type 2 diabetes, the body doesn’t use insulin effectively and can’t maintain normal blood sugar levels. This type of diabetes develops over many years and is typically diagnosed in adults. Importantly, type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with a healthy lifestyle. For more information on how to prevent type two diabetes, check out this article.
Gestational Diabetes:
Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women who have never had diabetes. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born but increases the risk for type 2 diabetes later in life. The baby is also more likely to have obesity as a child or teen and is expected to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
Prediabetes:
More than 1 in 3 Americans have prediabetes. Prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than usual but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes does, however, raise the risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. For more information and to test for prediabetes, check out our other article here.
With the high rates of diabetes in the US, November is a crucial month for everyone to educate themselves on the risk of diabetes. Additionally, it also serves as an important time to start making healthier choices in our day-to-day lives. With smarter, healthier choices every day, we can prevent the risk of some forms of diabetes. Please check out the resources below for more diabetes information.
Resources and references:Â Â
Diabetes Basics | Diabetes | CDC
Prediabetes – Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes | Diabetes | CDC
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