Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors
Type 2 diabetes has many risk factors associated with it, mostly related to lifestyle choices. Type 2 diabetes develops when glucose—which our bodies need for energy—stays in the blood and can’t get into the cells. This occurs when the pancreas either doesn’t make enough insulin or the body doesn’t use the insulin as it should, leading to insulin resistance. About Insulin Resistance Insulin resistance means your body cannot use the insulin your body makes. Your body may produce sufficient amounts of insulin to transport glucose to the cells, but the body resists the insulin. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood and causes symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes. Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes But in order to develop insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, you must also have a genetic abnormality. Along the same lines, some people with type 2 don’t produce enough insulin; that is also due to a genetic abnormality. That is, not everyone can develop type 2 diabetes. Additionally, not everyone with a genetic abnormality will develop type 2 diabetes; these risk factors and lifestyle choices influence the development. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include: Family history: Type 2 diabetes has a hereditary factor. If someone in your close family has (or had) it, you are more likely to develop it. Race/ethnicity: Certain ethnic groups are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, including African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. It’s interesting to point out that as certain countries have become more Westernized and their lifestyle choices—particularly their food choices—have become more “American,” the incidence of type 2 diabetes has gone up. For instance, China used to have a low rate of type 2 diabe Continue reading >>
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic (long-term) condition that occurs when your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or when your body has trouble using the insulin that it does make. About 1 in 400 young people have this condition. What is insulin? Why is it important? Insulin is a hormone made by a gland called the pancreas. The pancreas is located behind the stomach. Whenever you eat food, your body digests the food (breaks it down) into smaller parts: vitamins, minerals, sugar (called “glucose”), fat, and protein. Your body then uses glucose for energy. Glucose is the body’s major source of energy. Insulin is the hormone that helps glucose enter the cells of your body so it can be used as energy. If your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or if your body has difficulty using the insulin that it makes, the glucose from your food does not get changed into energy. Instead, the glucose stays in your blood, causing your blood glucose (also called “blood sugar”) to rise. Why is high blood sugar a problem? High blood sugar is a problem because it can cause serious damage to the body. Some of the most serious, long term problems are loss of vision, kidney problems, heart problems, damage to circulation and stroke. This kind of damage happens slowly over many years and can be delayed or prevented if you take good care of your diabetes. There are also short-term problems that come from high blood sugar. Some common short term-problems (caused from high blood sugar) are: Being thirsty Having to urinate (pee) more often Feeling irritable or exhausted Weight loss If your blood sugar gets too high due to not having enough insulin, you can experience a very serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. Signs of ketoacidosis are: Rapid deep breathing Stomach pain or chest pain and/or Continue reading >>
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12 Things That Make Type 2 Diabetes More Likely
You're more likely to get type 2 diabetes if: 1. Diabetes runs in your family. If you have a parent, brother, or sister who has it, your chances rise. But you can take action through everyday lifestyle habits, like exercise and healthy eating, to lower your odds of following in their footsteps. 2. You have prediabetes. That means your blood sugar level is above normal but you don't have the disease yet. To keep it that way, get more active and lose any extra weight. Your doctor may recommend you take the prescription drug metformin. 3. You're not physically active. It's never too late to change that. Check in with your doctor first, so you know what's safe for you to do. 4. You're overweight, especially around your waist. Not everyone with type 2 diabetes is overweight, but extra pounds make you more likely to get the condition. Belly fat seems to be particularly risky. 5. You've had heart disease. 6. You have high blood pressure. 7. Your "good" cholesterol level is low. It's too low if it's less than 40 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter). 8. Your triglyceride level is high. It's too high if it's over 150 mg/dL. 9. You've had diabetes during pregnancy before. That condition (called gestational diabetes) or delivering a baby over 9 pounds can make you more likely to get type 2 diabetes. 10. You're a woman who has PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). 11. You're age 45 or older. The chance of getting type 2 diabetes rises with age. But diabetes isn't a normal part of aging. 12. You're Hispanic, African-American, Native American, or Asian American. Diabetes is more common among these groups. Talk with your doctor to get a better sense of your risk. He can help you make a plan that will keep you in good health. Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes: What Is The Average Age Of Onset?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 29.1 million people in the United States have diabetes. The variations between individual diagnoses are too great for there to be an exact age of onset for type 2 diabetes. There is evidence, however, that the likelihood of developing the condition increases drastically after the age of 45. Average age of onset for type 2 diabetes The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommend annual diabetes screening tests after the age of 45. But the age at which someone develops the condition depends on too many differing factors to accurately predict. A wide mix of individual health and lifestyle factors can influence the progression of the condition. Many people have diabetes for years before being diagnosed, causing a large variation between the age of onset and age of diagnosis. Meanwhile, some estimates claim that nearly one-third of those with diabetes do not know they have it, which further complicates estimates. And many national surveys and studies do not distinguish between rates of type 1 and 2 diabetes in adults. According to the CDC, from 1997 through to 2011, the average age at which a person was diagnosed with diabetes in the United States was largely the same, at around 54 years of age. While there might not be a set age for onset for type 2 diabetes, age greatly increases the chances of developing the condition. In 2014, an estimated 4.3 percent of Americans over 20 years of age had diabetes, while 13.4 percent of those aged 45-64, and 11.2 percent of those aged 65 or older, had the condition. A 2016 study found that the rates of type 2 diabetes were up to seven times higher in Chinese adults, aged 55-74, than they were in those aged 20-34 years. The ADA report that rates of diabetes remain high i Continue reading >>
Pre Diabetes
Diabetes & Related Conditions – Pre Diabetes When you have pre–diabetes, your blood sugar (glucose) is higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetes. The problem is that this condition puts you at a higher risk of getting diabetes. Diabetes is more than a “touch of sugar.” It is a serious disease that can negatively affect your health in many ways. Today over 25 million Americans have diabetes. But even greater numbers of Americans have pre–diabetes. And the numbers continue to grow. Is it a new condition? Pre–diabetes is a new name for an old condition. It used to be called “impaired glucose tolerance” (IGT) or “impaired fasting glucose” (IFG). These terms also mean that blood glucose levels are a bit raised. We know much more about this condition today. Pre-diabetes is a health problem Having pre–diabetes means you are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. About half the people who have pre–diabetes, develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. But even pre–diabetes can have bad effects on your health. For example, people with pre–diabetes have 1.5 times more risk of heart and blood vessel disease. This includes high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack. Diabetes can be prevented When you have pre–diabetes and make lifestyle changes, it is possible to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. In a national study called the Diabetes Prevention Program, doctors looked at a large number of overweight people who were at high risk for diabetes. Here is what they found: Losing weight and being physically active can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. How likely am I to get pre-diabetes? The same risk factors increase your chances of getting pre–diabetes or diabetes. You are more likely to get pre–diabetes or diabetes if you Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes In Seniors: Symptoms & Care
My career working with older people began 25 years ago at Community Services for the Blind, where friends, staff, volunteers and clients had lost their sight due to complications from diabetes. Some died at an early age. Today we know much more about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes than we did then. Nevertheless, the disease has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S., afflicting more and more people at younger and younger ages. Type 1 diabetes affects 5% of all people with diabetes and occurs mostly in people under the age of 20. In this condition, the pancreas produces insufficient insulin to maintain normal glucose (blood sugar) levels. The vast majority of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by hyperglycemia (excess blood sugar) and insulin resistance. It can cause not only vision loss, but kidney failure, nerve damage, cardiovascular (heart and other artery blockage) disease, as well as increased infections and slowed healing, sometimes resulting in the need for amputation. Type 2 diabetes in seniors is particularly problematic. Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms The most common initial symptoms of type 2 diabetes are increased thirst and frequent urination. Excess glucose in your bloodstream sucks water from tissues, forcing you to want to take in more liquid. Type 2 diabetes is frequently asymptomatic for many years, before initial tell-tale signs of the disease emerge. These include: Flu-like Fatigue Feeling lethargic, tired or chronically weak can be a sign of type 2 diabetes. When your body can't process sugar properly, you'll have chronically low energy. Weight Loss or Weight Gain Because your body is trying to make up for lost fluid and fuel, you may eat more. The opposite can also happen. Even though you eat m Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms: This Is The Age You Should Be Tested - Are You At Risk?
People over 40 should be checked to see if they are at risk of type 2 diabetes, with almost two million offered a place on a diet and exercise programme, a health watchdog has said. Every week 4,500 people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes across the UK. Experts also said risk assessments for the condition should be carried out in GP surgeries and pharmacies. The health watchdog, NICE, said people should also be encouraged to test themselves for the condition - which is linked to obesity - in community venues and the workplace. Anyone attending the free NHS Health Check with their GP once they hit 40 should be screened for existing type 2 diabetes or the chance of having it in future, it said. Professor Mark Baker, director of the centre for guidelines at Nice, said: "We know that helping someone to make simple changes to their diet and exercise levels can significantly reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. "And that this approach is a cost-effective way of managing an illness that currently costs the NHS around £8.8 billion a year. "We need to make sure that the people most at risk have access to the care they need." Symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst, increased urination - particularly at night, and feeling tired. The symptoms are not always obvious, and many people could be suffering with the condition for years before they learn they have it. Pharmacists can screen for the condition and individuals are advised to take a self-assessment test, such as the Know Your Risk quiz on the Diabetes UK website. The health watchdog said the 1.7 million people who have the highest risk of developing type 2 diabetes should be offered a place on an intensive lifestyle change programme. Fri, August 19, 2016 Diabetes is a common life-long health condition. Th Continue reading >>
5 Ways To Cut Your Risk Of Diabetes
The older we get, the more likely we are to get diabetes, specifically type 2. Around 1 in 7 older people have diabetes and these numbers are likely to rise. Although no-one completely understands the causes of diabetes, if you control the risk factors, you can reduce your chances of getting it. The facts about diabetes It's estimated that 4.5 million people are living with diabetes in the UK. A further 1.1 million people may have diabetes but haven't been diagnosed. 9 out of 10 of these cases are type 2 diabetes, the preventable form of the condition. Although we don’t know the causes, there are a number of factors that can increase your chance of developing type 2 diabetes, so by taking simple steps, you can lower your chances of getting it. Quite simply, shedding pounds will drastically reduce your chances of getting type 2 diabetes. 80% of people who have diabetes are overweight, so if you are overweight or obese, it’s time to think about cutting back. A good measure is your waist size. More than 31.5 inches (80cm) for a woman and 37 inches (94cm) for a man and you need to start thinking about cutting back. It goes without saying that increasing the amount of time you spend exercising will make you feel better and help towards losing weight. Research has found that regular exercise can reduce your risk of developing by up to 64%, so it is backed up by science. Talk to your GP for an idea of some suitable exercises for you. Most people are aware of smoking’s link to cancer, but not as many understand how it’s connected to diabetes. Smoking has been proven to increase blood pressure levels, which are known to be a major cause of diabetes. A diet that is low in fat, sugar and salt and contains a lot of fruit and veg will reduce your cholesterol levels – a sim Continue reading >>
Signs Of Diabetes In Men
Have you had bouts of dizziness or unexplained irritability? Perhaps you’ve been feeling lethargic, with fatigue setting in by the middle of the day, even before hitting the gym? Maybe, you’re worried about your performance in bed? Believe it or not, all of these could be early signs of diabetes in men. Type 2 Diabetes is a disease characterized by the body’s inability to produce enough insulin. Sometimes, it could be the inability to use that insulin properly too. But, sometimes it could be a mix of both. If you’ve been feeling any of the above symptoms lately, chances are, your blood sugar levels are unstable. Research studies show that, biologically, men are more likely to get Type 2 diabetes, than women. But, this does not necessarily indicate that men are more vigilant about early symptoms. “A 40-year old man had been feeling tired for a whole year. It was only when he began to go to the washroom every hour that he finally came to see me. When we ran his labs, his HbA1c was at 22! A lot of internal damage must have occurred from blood sugar for years,” says Mahesh Jayaraman, Medical Researcher and Co-Founder of Sepalika. Here’s an important fact for you to chew on: Men, in general, tend to ignore early signs of T2D much more than women do. This is because of a tendency to bear it like a man. Often, symptoms of prediabetes are ignored as well. Prediabetes is a condition defined by slightly elevated blood sugar levels, that are not actually in the “dangerously high” range. Generally, men don’t get to the doctor before they have full-blown diabetes. Trust us when we say this – It’s not a good idea to ignore these symptoms of diabetes in men. Early detection and lifestyle changes make it so much easier and quicker to reverse prediabetes. General Continue reading >>
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes develops in women during pregnancy because the mother’s body is not able to produce enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that enables the body to break down sugar (glucose) to be used as energy. Without sufficient insulin the amount of sugar in the blood rises. High blood sugar levels in the mother’s body are passed through the placenta to the developing baby. This can cause health problems. Gestational diabetes usually begins in the second half of pregnancy, and goes away after the baby is born. This makes it different to the more common forms of diabetes which, once they occur, are permanent. What causes gestational diabetes? The hormones produced during pregnancy work against the action of insulin. Gestational diabetes can happen if the mother’s body can’t produce enough extra insulin to counteract this blocking effect. Who is more likely to get gestational diabetes? Women are more at risk if they: • have a family history of type 2 diabetes • are over the age of 35 • are obese • have previously given birth to a large baby • have previously given birth to a baby born with an abnormality • have previously had a stillbirth late in pregnancy How would I know if I had gestational diabetes and how is it is it diagnosed? The symptoms of gestational diabetes are tiredness and excessive urination. Both of these symptoms are experienced by most pregnant ladies and therefore gestational diabetes may go unnoticed. It is normal to be tested for gestational diabetes in the latter part of the second trimester of pregnancy (24 to 28 weeks). Urine is routinely tested for sugar throughout pregnancy, and high blood sugar, if present, is usually detected between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. The only way to confirm gestational diabetes is with a Continue reading >>
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Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
What is Diabetes Mellitus Type 2? Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a condition in which the body fails to metabolise glucose (sugar) correctly. This causes levels of sugar in the blood to increase, a state known as hyperglycaemia. When a person does not have diabetes, a gland called the pancreas produces and secretes a hormone called insulin. The hormone is used by the body’s tissues to metabolise glucose. Usually the amount of insulin secreted increases in relation to the amount of carbohydrate (sugar) a person consumes. In people with type 2 diabetes, insulin secretion from the pancreas often decreases. This is referred to as reduced insulin secretion. In addition the body tissues do not respond adequately to the insulin which is produced. Normally the insulin would be used by the body to draw glucose into the cells, where it could be stored as energy which could be used by the body later (e.g. when exercising or any of the other activities which involve energy expenditure). In type 2 diabetes, the glucose is not taken into the cells. This is referred to as insulin resistance. It causes glucose to stay in the blood stream and hyperglycaemia is the result. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was previously called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and late onset diabetes mellitus. These names are no longer used because they are inaccurate. Insulin is often used in the management of type 2 diabetes. The condition is increasingly diagnosed in young people. Statistics Almost one in 20 Australians, or one million people, were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus in 2008. The actual proportion of Australians with the condition may be higher as many people are not diagnosed until they develop complications, for example diabetic retinopathy. Of those who have been diagnosed Continue reading >>
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Simple Steps To Preventing Diabetes
Table of Contents Simple Steps to Lower Your Risk Introduction If type 2 diabetes was an infectious disease, passed from one person to another, public health officials would say we’re in the midst of an epidemic. This difficult disease, once called adult-onset diabetes, is striking an ever-growing number of adults. Even more alarming, it’s now beginning to show up in teenagers and children. More than 24 million Americans have diabetes; of those, about 6 million don’t know they have the disease. (1) In 2007, diabetes cost the U.S. an estimated $116 billion in excess medical spending, and an additional $58 billion in reduced productivity. (1) If the spread of type 2 diabetes continues at its present rate, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the United States will increase from about 16 million in 2005 to 48 million in 2050. (2) Worldwide, the number of adults with diabetes will rise from 285 million in 2010 to 439 million in the year 2030. (3) The problems behind the numbers are even more alarming. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and kidney failure among adults. It causes mild to severe nerve damage that, coupled with diabetes-related circulation problems, often leads to the loss of a leg or foot. Diabetes significantly increases the risk of heart disease. And it’s the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., directly causing almost 70,000 deaths each year and contributing to thousands more. (4) The good news is that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. About 9 cases in 10 could be avoided by taking several simple steps: keeping weight under control, exercising more, eating a healthy diet, and not smoking. What Is Type 2 Diabetes? Our cells depend on a single simple sugar, glucose, for most of their energy needs. That’s why the body Continue reading >>
Prediabetes
Prediabetes You’re at risk for developing prediabetes if you: Are overweight Are 45 years or older Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes Are physically active less than 3 times a week Have ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds Are African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, or Alaska Native (some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are also at higher risk) You can prevent or reverse prediabetes with simple, proven lifestyle changes such as losing weight if you’re overweight, eating healthier, and getting regular physical activity. The CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program can help you make healthy changes that have lasting results. Type 2 Diabetes You’re at risk for developing type 2 diabetes if you: Have prediabetes Are overweight Are 45 years or older Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes Are physically active less than 3 times a week Have ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds Are African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, or Alaska Native (some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are also at higher risk) You can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes with simple, proven lifestyle changes such as losing weight if you’re overweight, eating healthier, and getting regular physical activity. Type 1 Diabetes Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an immune reaction (the body attacks itself by mistake). Risk factors for type 1 diabetes are not as clear as for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Known risk factors include: Family history: Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 1 diabetes. Age: You can get type 1 diabetes at any age, but Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes In Women: Young, Slim, And Diabetic
Stephanie Yi, 29, had a body most women would kill for. She never had to work hard to maintain her long-limbed, flat-bellied frame—weekend hikes near her northern California home and lots of spinach salads did the trick. She could easily afford to indulge her sweet tooth with the occasional buttery, sugary snack. At 5'7" and 120 pounds, she had, she figured, hit the good-genes jackpot. But everything changed two years ago, when a crippling fatigue left her sidelined from college classes. Listless, she dragged herself to a doctor, who suspected a thyroid imbalance. A blood test and a few days later, she received the alarming results: Her thyroid was fine; her blood sugar levels were not. She was prediabetic and on the cusp of developing type 2. Stephanie was stunned. Of course, she'd heard diabetes was a health crisis. (At last count, 26 million Americans had the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) But weren't type 2 diabetics fat, sedentary, and on junk-food-and-soda diets? Stephanie hadn't been to a drive-through in ages; she didn't touch meat. Yet, somehow, she'd gotten an illness most slim women dodge. A Growing Threat The CDC estimates that one in nine adults has diabetes and, if current trends continue, one in three will be diabetic by the year 2050. For decades, typical type 2 patients were close to what Stephanie pictured: heavy and inactive. They were also older, often receiving a diagnosis in middle age or beyond. But while such type 2 cases continue to skyrocket, there has been a disturbing increase in a much younger set. The number of diabetes-related hospitalizations among people in their thirties has doubled in the past decade, with women 1.3 times more likely to be admitted than men. Perhaps even more troubling is the e Continue reading >>
Age Of People Affected By Type 2 Diabetes
Age of People Affected by Type 2 Diabetes Janet Renee is a clinical dietitian with a special interest in weight management, sports dietetics, medical nutrition therapy and diet trends. She earned her Master of Science in nutrition from the University of Chicago and has contributed to health and wellness magazines, including Prevention, Self, Shape and Cooking Light. A doctor explaining to a patient how to use a blood glucose meter.Photo Credit: BernardaSv/iStock/Getty Images Type 2 diabetes was once -- by definition -- an adult disease, but this is no longer the case. While the average age of onset is 46, according to 1999 to 2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey results, type 2 diabetes in young adults and even in teens is becoming more common. In addition, a significant portion of the population over the age of 65 has type 2 diabetes. Anyone considered high risk for developing diabetes, and every adult age 45 and older, should be screened regularly for this condition. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common America's younger generation. A 2008 to 2009 multicenter study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health confirmed this trend, finding that during the study period, 5,089 people under the age of 20 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. While this is significantly fewer compared to the 18,436 youth under 20 who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the same year, study data published in the May 2014 issue of "JAMA" show a 30.5 percent increase in the number of youth diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2009 compared to 2001. Researchers believe that in children, this increase can be largely attributed to the rise in childhood obesity. According to the CDC, one in six American children is considere Continue reading >>
