7 Signs You May Have Type 2 Diabetes
Not exercising. Supersize portions. Our love affair with food has taken a drastic turn. The number of Americans with type 2 diabetes—21 million, including adults and children—has risen with the obesity epidemic. Should you or you child get tested? Yes, if you have a family history of the disease and/or any of the following: You're overweight. Even being just 10 to 15 pounds overweight can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If your child is overweight, make sure his pediatrician tests him, because type 2 diabetes is on the rise in kids. The encouraging news is that losing just 5% to 7% of your body weight can reduce your risk of diabetes, according to research from the Diabetes Prevention Program. Testing usually involves screening your blood for high glucose (sugar) levels. If they're too high, you could have either type 1 or type 2. (See box, right, for explanations of the two types.) Your doctor will most likely be able to sort it out based on your age and symptoms. In some cases, you may also need to see an endocrinologist (specialist). You're constantly running to the bathroom. "If your body doesn't make enough insulin [a hormone that carries glucose into your cells to give them energy]," which can happen with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, "glucose builds up in your bloodstream and comes out in your urine," explains Janet Silverstein, MD, chief of pediatric endocrinology at the University of Florida. Because you're urinating a lot, you'll probably also be very thirsty and drinking more than usual. Your vision is blurry. High blood sugar levels cause glucose to build up in the lens of your eyes, making it harder for you to focus. This could mean that you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. You're losing weight for no apparent reason. This is usually a sig Continue reading >>
Double Diabetes: Is It A Myth Or Does It Exist?
Usually, when you think of ‘double’ it sounds like a good thing. Double the fun, double the money, double the dessert, etc. However, when you hear ‘double diabetes’ this doesn’t necessarily sound like any fun at all. Most people are not aware that even such a thing exists. But double diabetes is for those special few people that have a combo of both type 1 and type 2 features. When someone who has type 1 diabetes develops insulin resistance, which you traditionally see in type 2 diabetes, this is what is known as double diabetes. It’s important to remember that double diabetes doesn’t take away the seriousness of having type 1 diabetes. In fact, they will always have type 1 diabetes. But some of the effects of having insulin resistance can be reduced with proper treatment. I suggest reading the following pieces: Why Do Type 1’s Develop Insulin Resistance? Why someone’s body responds in the wrong manner to insulin is still a bit of a mystery. Unfortunately, the majority of people believe that those with type 1 diabetes are not insulin resistant because they commonly are not overweight. This is however the furthest from the truth you can get. There are a few factors that increase your risk of developing insulin resistance, even as a type 1 diabetic. These factors include: Being over 40 years’ old Glucose intolerance history Having hypertension or cardiovascular disease Low HDL Cholesterol or High Triglycerides Having PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) Having Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease What Exactly is Double Diabetes? Double Diabetes was first discovered and introduced in 1991. During a research study for those with Type 1 diabetes and a family history of Type 2 diabetes it was shown that these individuals were more likely to become overweight an Continue reading >>
Living With Diabetes: Don’t Let Your Diagnosis Get You Down
The way we think about diabetes has changed in recent decades. Depending on your age, you probably have a different relationship with this chronic illness. People in their 50s and 60s grew up most of their lives thinking of diabetes as something that can happen to you in late middle age if you live a life of eating excess sugar and never exercising. It wasn’t incredibly common, but enough older people would end up with it. If you’re in your 20s or 30s now, you approach diabetes as something the person next to you could easily have and you’re wondering if you’re at risk right now. Younger people are acutely aware of the rising diagnoses of diabetes in the United States. It feels like it could strike at any time. Granted, your risk is still low if you take care of yourself. But, it’s no longer a disease that strikes the older population nearly exclusively. Most people have a close friend or family member currently living with the condition. It’s important to understand, though, that while diabetes brings many more risks, it can be managed and you can live a relatively healthy life if you stick to your doctor’s orders. How widespread is diabetes? The rate of diagnosis has skyrocketed over the past 60 years. In 1958, only 1.6 million people were living with diabetes in the United States. That’s less than 1% of the population at the time. By 2015, that number had jumped up to 23.4 million and over 7% of the population. Estimates have the rate of diagnosis to continue climbing for decades to come. The most alarming thing is more children under the age of 18 have Type 2 Diabetes than ever before. Different types of diabetes It’s important to note that there are multiple types of diabetes. Type I and Type 2 are how they are generally classified, with Type 2 be Continue reading >>
Diabetes Can Strike—hard—even When Weight Is Normal
We tend to think of type 2 diabetes as a disease that afflicts people who are overweight. But it can also appear in people with perfectly healthy weights—and be more deadly in them. A study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that normal-weight people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have double the risk of dying from heart disease and other causes than overweight people with diabetes. Such apparent “protection” by excess weight has been called the obesity paradox. It’s been seen with other conditions, like heart failure and end-stage kidney disease. Overweight or obese people with these conditions seem to fare better or live longer than their normal-weight counterparts. That doesn’t mean gaining weight is a healthy strategy. Instead, it probably means that something else besides weight—like the amount of fat around the waist—may be contributing to the onset and severity of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes types There are two basic types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body stops making insulin. This happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks insulin-making cells in the pancreas. Without insulin, cells can’t absorb sugar (glucose) from the bloodstream. The resulting high sugar levels in the blood damages nerves, arteries, and other tissues. Type 1 diabetes often appears early in life, but can happen later. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin. Type 2 diabetes occurs when cells become resistant to insulin’s “open up for sugar” signal. Exactly why this happens is still something of a mystery. But excess weight contributes to it, since fat cells affect how the body uses glucose and produces insulin. Lack of physical activity also plays a role. Medications that make muscle and other cells mor Continue reading >>
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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 >>
Mary Tyler Moore Was A Role Model For Others With Type 1 Diabetes
For people with type 1 diabetes, Mary Tyler Moore, who died Wednesday at age 80, was not just an actress. She was a fellow traveler who helped bring a widely misunderstood disease out of the shadows. Moore was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in her 30s, and kept it a secret for much of her career. But eventually she became an outspoken advocate. As the longtime International Chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, now known as JDRF, Moore testified before congressional committees and made many public service announcements and appearances. “She was a role model and a source of inspiration,” who raised awareness and research money during an era when treatment emerged from “the dark ages” and edged toward a cure, said JDRF CEO Derek Rapp. In type 1 diabetes, the body cannot make insulin, a hormone the body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream to the rest of the body. Because it is often diagnosed in children or young adults, it was formerly known as juvenile diabetes. It is much less common than type 2 diabetes, which typically develops later in life. In an appearance at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., in 2009, Moore recounted her diagnosis 40 years earlier, after a miscarriage. “A blood test revealed that my blood sugar level was 750. Normal is between 70 and 110. And they did not know how I was still alive and walking around. But within 48 hours, I was brought back to normal, and then began the hard part, living with the disease.” She explained why she hesitated to become an advocate when the JDRF first approached her, in 1984: “At the time, I hadn’t taken ownership of my diabetes. I wasn’t sure I wanted the world to know that behind the smile that could turn it on was an independent woman who was dependent on multiple sh Continue reading >>
Symptoms Of Type 1 Diabetes
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can develop very fast and are caused by hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels). If a person has recently been sick early symptoms maybe overlooked. If you have one or more of these diabetes symptoms, see your doctor right away! Early Symptoms of type 1 diabetes: Frequent urination Unusual weight loss Extreme fatigue and Irritability Intense thirst Being very tired Other Symptoms of type 1 diabetes: Extreme hunger Blurred vision Fruity, sweet, or wine-like odor on breath Heavy, labored breathing If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and/or think you might have type 1 diabetes, your doctor can do a blood test to measure the amount of sugar in your blood. Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented but watching out for early symptoms and treating it correctly can help reduce the chance of diabetes related complications and give you control over the disease. Living with Type 1 Diabetes Living with type 1 diabetes can be challenging but with proper control and management people can live a very healthy life. People with type 1 diabetes need to monitor and control their glucose levels and: check blood sugar levels several times a day take insulin (either through in injection or insulin pump) maintain a healthy diet and control the amounts of sugars and starches they intake watch the timing of their meals exercise regularly work closely with a diabetes health care team At its core, proper type 1 diabetes management is composed of a handful of elements: blood glucose control and insulin management, exercise, nutrition and support. It is important to keep blood sugar close to normal. Having high blood sugar can cause serious problems over time and can lead to nerve damage, kidney disease, vision problems, pain or loss of feeling in hands and feet, amp Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune condition in which the immune system is activated to destroy the cells in the pancreas which produce insulin. We do not know what causes this auto-immune reaction. Type 1 diabetes is not linked to modifiable lifestyle factors. There is no cure and it cannot be prevented. Type 1 diabetes: Occurs when the pancreas does not produce insulin Represents around 10% of all cases of diabetes and is one of the most common chronic childhood conditions Onset is usually abrupt and the symptoms obvious Symptoms can include excessive thirst and urination, unexplained weight loss, weakness and fatigue and blurred vision Is managed with insulin injections several times a day or the use of an insulin pump. What happens to the pancreas? In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach, stops making insulin because the cells that make the insulin have been destroyed by the body’s immune system. Without insulin, the body’s cells cannot turn glucose (sugar), into energy. People with type 1 diabetes depend on insulin every day of their lives to replace the insulin the body cannot produce. They must test their blood glucose levels several times throughout the day. The onset of type 1 diabetes occurs most frequently in people under 30 years, however new research suggests almost half of all people who develop the condition are diagnosed over the age of 30. About 10-15% of all cases of diabetes are type 1. What happens if people with type 1 diabetes don’t receive insulin? Without insulin the body burns its own fats as a substitute which releases chemical substances in the blood. Without ongoing injections of insulin, the dangerous chemical substances will accumulate and can be life threatening if it is not treated. This is a condition call Continue reading >>
1 In 5 Cases Of Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosed In The Over-40s
Save for later More than one in five cases of Type 1 diabetes are diagnosed in people aged over 40, according to new figures announced today at Diabetes UK’s annual Diabetes Professional Conference. The figures, which are based on analysis from the National Diabetes Audit data, shows that in the year 2011–12, 8,952 people were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. This included 2,035 people who were aged over 40 at the time of their diagnosis, of who more than 500 were aged over 69. The research confirms what Diabetes UK has always said that, though most cases are commonly diagnosed between the ages of 10–14, Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age. The charity pointed to Home Secretary Theresa May’s Type 1 diagnosis last year as a high profile example of this. The charity’s announcement comes as new research from the Royal Gwent Hospital in Wales suggests that lack of awareness about late onset Type 1 diabetes is leading to some people not being diagnosed early enough and in some cases people can become seriously ill before the condition is identified. Signs and symptoms This research highlights the need for healthcare professionals not to rule out Type 1 diabetes just because a patient is older. It is also important for the public to be aware of the main signs and symptoms of Type 1 diabetes, which include being tired, thirsty, losing weight and going to the toilet a lot, especially at night. People also need to understand that they should contact their GP if they have any of these symptoms. Simon O’Neill, Director for Health Intelligence and Professional Liaison for Diabetes UK, said, "This study highlights that Type 1 diabetes is not just a condition that strikes the young. We hear of reports where people who develop the condition later in life are only diagnosed Continue reading >>
Ask An Expert: Can A Young, Healthy, Active Adult Get Diabetes?
Q: Can an active, 32-year-old Caucasian female who eats well and who does not suffer from obesity, high blood pressure or high cholesterol be diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes? If so, how common is this? Answer from Susanna Reiner, R.N., B.S.N., diabetes nurse educator, Providence Diabetes Education: Yes — even though a healthy diet, weight and lifestyle greatly reduce the chances of developing diabetes, there is still a small chance that the woman you described could be diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes due to risk factors beyond her control. It’s relatively uncommon, but it does happen. Fortunately, her healthy lifestyle will be an asset to her. If the woman in question is diagnosed with pre-diabetes, then staying physically active, maintaining a low-stress lifestyle and following a well-balanced diet will help her prevent or delay the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, according to the Diabetes Prevention Program. If she is diagnosed with diabetes, she’ll have a much better chance of preventing complications related to uncontrolled diabetes if she continues to follow her healthy habits. What could cause diabetes in such a young, otherwise healthy adult? Let’s first consider type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all cases of diabetes in the United States according to the National Diabetes Fact Sheet. Some of the most common risk factors for type 2 diabetes don’t appear to apply to the woman you’ve described. These include the following: Obesity, particularly around the waistline (associated with 90 percent of people who have type 2 diabetes, according to the World Health Organization) Certain non-Caucasian ethnic backgrounds (African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are a Continue reading >>
8 Red-flag Symptoms Of Type 1 Diabetes In Children
What is type 1 diabetes? iStock/Jovanmandic Type 1 diabetes (T1D), previously called juvenile diabetes, develops when the pancreas no longer produces insulin—a necessary hormone to allow the blood sugar (glucose) to pass into cells so that the cells can use it as energy. According to JDRF (formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), approximately 40,000 new cases of type 1 diabetes occur each year. Type 1 diabetes accounts for five to 10 percent of all diabetes cases in the United States. While T1D can happen at any age, JDRF states it’s most commonly diagnosed somewhere between infancy and late 30s, with the peak age of diagnosis in the US around age 14. What’s it like to receive a type 1 diabetes diagnosis? iStock/Cathy Yeulet If you have a child who’s been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in his or her childhood, you’re not alone. Chicago mother Beth Bernstein recounts her first thoughts when she learned her 14-year-old daughter had recently developed this type 1 diabetes. “You have to be strong for your children,” Bernstein said. “What do we do? What’s our next steps? I was very linear in my thinking. To see my daughter in so much discomfort and pain...it was horrible.” For Bernstein’s daughter, type 1 diabetes symptoms came without warning. “We couldn’t have prevented this,” she said. “It literally came out of the blue. At first, I felt guilty this had happened to my child, but then I learned there’s nothing we did to cause this.” Knowing the signs of type 1 diabetes in children is critical to control the illness. A child exhibiting symptoms of type 1 diabetes may demonstrate the following: Excessive thirst iStock/Kerkez As the body struggles to maintain adequate fluid levels, a child becomes very thirsty to prevent Continue reading >>
Talking Type 1: Kevin Kane
Think type 1 diabetes is just for kids? Think again. Because it was thought to only strike children and teens, type 1 was known as juvenile diabetes for a long time. The truth is a growing number of adults are being diagnosed with it in their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond. All week long, we will present stories from adults who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, describing the emotions and frustrations that came with their experiences. Each person defines success in different ways, but they all celebrate the triumphs that have helped them reach their goal of living well with diabetes. Name: Kevin Kane Age: 49 (diagnosed at 49) Location: Sun Prairie, Wis. I was just diagnosed with type 1 diabetes Aug. 1, 2014, at age 49. This all started in March 2014. At first I fooled myself into thinking I lost weight from eating better and drinking more water. But then I really wasn’t eating well and I kept losing weight. I was drinking a gallon of water a day but still constantly thirsty; my dry mouth was so bad I sometimes had a hard time speaking. I was getting up to urinate every 60 to 90 minutes at night. I had leg cramps at night and became horribly fatigued. I’m not one to see a doctor, so it had to get bad before I would make an appointment. I visited my primary doctor and had blood and urine testing done. Later that afternoon, Dr. Segal called to say I should probably go to the emergency room at University of Wisconsin Hospital right away. As it turned out, my blood glucose was 613mg/dL and my A1C was 15.6 percent. On top of that, I found out my cholesterol was 269mg/dL. I assumed it was type 2 diabetes, because of my age. My father was diagnosed with it in his 60s, though it was thought to be connected to his long-term alcoholism. Then there was a great uncle with diabetes, Continue reading >>
Half Of Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis Occur After Age 30
Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed in people over age 30 as often as in those under age 30. Type 1 diabetes used to be referred to as “juvenile diabetes”. That name was later called inaccurate since anyone of any age can be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Those diagnosed with type 1 as adults are generally referred to as having LADA, or latent autoimmune diabetes. It is still a commonly held belief however, that most diagnosed with type 1 are children. This translates to education and support for children diagnosed with diabetes and their parents but not so much for older patients. According to Medscape, new information taken from genetic data at the UK Biobank shows that just as many people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes over age 30 as are diagnosed while under age 30. Should More Support be Available to Patients Diagnosed with Type 1 as Adults? This information may have implications on the way we view type 1 diabetes and the way we go about screening for it and diagnosing it. Clinically, an adult presenting symptoms of diabetes will most likely have type 2 diabetes because statistically there are many more cases of type 2 than type 1 diabetes. Many adults with type 1 diabetes are first misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes and often endure trying times as they discover that the type 2 treatment they’ve been prescribed is dangerously inadequate. Aside from not getting the right treatment, adult patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes often report not getting enough information about their illness and how to manage it successfully. They are left to turn to the internet to search for meaningful type 1 diabetes information. When a child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes they are typically admitted into a hospital for a few days while they and their parents get educated an Continue reading >>
What Is The Difference Between Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes?
There are three major types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. All types of diabetes cause blood glucose levels to be higher than normal, but they do this in different ways Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but is most commonly diagnosed from infancy to the late 30s. With this type of diabetes, a person’s pancreas produces no insulin. It occurs when the body’s own defence system (the immune system) attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. What causes the immune system to do this is not yet completely understood, but we are funding research to find out. Type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common type of diabetes – in the UK over 90 per cent of people with diabetes have type 2. Type 2 diabetes usually affects those over 40, or 25 if you’re of South Asian descent. However, it is becoming more common among young people due to lifestyle. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes are not always obvious and, unlike with type 1, they can take a long time to develop. People with type 2 diabetes either don’t make enough insulin or don’t make insulin that the body can use properly. The cells in the body become resistant to insulin, making a greater amount of insulin necessary to keep blood glucose levels within a normal range. Eventually, the pancreas can wear out from producing extra insulin, and it may start making less and less. Type 2 can usually be managed through diet, exercise, and self-monitoring blood glucose, at least in the first few years following diagnosis. However, type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, and most people will need to take tablets and/or inject insulin after living with it for five to 10 years. LADA Up to a third of people who were initially diagnosed as having type Continue reading >>
Adults Can Get Type 1 Diabetes, Too
David Lazarus had just moved to Los Angeles to start a new job as a business and consumer columnist for the Los Angeles Times when he suddenly developed some of the classic signs of diabetes: extreme thirst, fatigue and weight loss. He dropped close to 15 pounds in two weeks. Lazarus was in his early 40s. "The weight loss was the first big red flag. It happened really fast," he says. He consulted a physician, who diagnosed him with Type 2 diabetes and recommended a "monastic" low-carb, macrobiotic diet. When he continued to feel lousy a few days later, Lazarus spoke with another physician. That doctor suggested that Lazarus might have Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition in which the insulin-making cells in the pancreas are attacked and destroyed. But that physician didn't take insurance. Finally Lazarus made his way to the diabetes center at the University of California, Los Angeles. There, an endocrinologist diagnosed him with Type 1 diabetes and immediately put him on the correct treatment, insulin. Without insulin injections or infusion via a pump, people with Type 1 diabetes typically fall into a coma and die within days to weeks, although sometimes adults may have a small amount of reserve insulin that keeps them going longer. Still, eventually all people with Type 1 diabetes must receive insulin. Lazarus' story is not uncommon. It has long been thought that Type 1 diabetes arises primarily in childhood or adolescence and only rarely in adulthood. In fact, Type 1 diabetes was formerly called "juvenile" diabetes, and that term is still widely used, even though the terminology was officially changed in 1997. Across the ages Now, it looks as if not only can Type 1 diabetes occur in adults, it's just as likely to appear in adulthood as in childhood or adolescence. Continue reading >>
