What Really Causes Type 2 Diabetes

Learn Which Risk Factors Are Preventable
Contrary to popular belief, type 2 diabetes (a chronic disease) isn’t caused by eating lots of sweets. Actually, the cause is still unknown, but there are certain factors that are known to increase a person’s risk of developing this metabolic disorder. There are two main categories of risks that are associated with the development of type 2 diabetes—those that you can't change (uncontrollable), and those that you can (controllable). The more risk factors you have, the higher your risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Uncontrollable Risk Factors
Although these factors are out of your control, it is important to know whether you fall into any of these higher-risk categories.
Your age. Your risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases as you get older. Diabetes most often affects people over age 40, and people over 65 are at even higher risk. It is recommended that people aged 45 and older be tested for diabetes every three years.
Your family history. There is some evidence that diabetes runs in families. If your parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes, for example, your risk of developing diabetes increases.
Your race. Certain ethnicities—African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islander Americans—are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Your health history. Women who had gestational diabetes during pregnancy are 50% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. Giving birth to a baby over nine pounds also increases a woman's risk. Other illnesses and conditio Continue reading

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Effects of Alcohol on Diabetes

Alcohol, which is made from fermented yeast, sugars, and starches is a very commonly used substance.
In fact, 87.6% of adults aged 18 and over have consumed it at some point in their lifetime. It is also known as a depressant due to its capability to depress the central nervous system. About 71% have drank in the past year.
When enjoyed in moderation, alcohol does not pose a risk, and actually has some health benefits to it.
However, for those with diabetes, it can be a struggle to maintain a safe blood sugar while drinking. It is very easy to become hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemic (high blood sugar), depending on which type of diabetes you have and the medications that you take. Understanding the effects drinking has on diabetes is very important.
This article discusses the risks and benefits of drinking.
It also explains what drinks are best for individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Can I drink if I have diabetes?
You can most certainly drink alcohol with diabetes. The key, just like many other things, is to do so in moderation.
Also, if your blood sugar is not under good control, you should not drink because it can cause it to become too high or too low. Your doctor should be aware of your drinking habits so that they can make sure that you are not experiencing any complications related to it.
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How does alcohol affect diabetes and my blood sugar levels?
Normally, the liver is the organ that stores and secretes glucose to the cells in the body to fuel them when you are not eating. The liver is also responsi Continue reading

Diabetes and life expectancy: What effect does type 2 diabetes have?

Diabetes can cause serious health complications and have an impact on life expectancy. How much a person's life is reduced depends on a combination of factors, such as the severity of the case, additional complications, and response to treatment.
After being diagnosed, most people with diabetes want to know how the condition will affect the length and quality of their life. Each individual varies, but maintaining healthy blood sugar levels often has the largest influence on life expectancy.
Relatively few studies have examined the link between diabetes and life expectancy, especially on a large scale. As a result, doctors aren't entirely sure how diabetes relates to how long people with the condition will live. This article will explore more.
Fast facts on diabetes and life expectancy:
While some estimates exist, there is no way to know exactly how diabetes will affect life expectancy.
Type 2 diabetes is thought to have less of an effect on life expectancy than type 1 because people typically develop the condition much later in life.
Generally, anything that helps maintain or contribute to healthy blood sugar levels can reduce the toll diabetes takes.
What is the life expectancy of people with type 2 diabetes?
A 2010 report by Diabetes UK claims type 2 diabetes reduces life expectancy by roughly 10 years. The same report states that type 1 diabetes may reduce life expectancy by at least 20 years.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average life expectancy in 2014 for American men was 76.4 years and women 81.2 years.
A 2012 Canadian study f Continue reading

Diabetes, Alcohol, and Social Drinking

People with diabetes should be particularly cautious when it comes to drinking alcohol because alcohol can make some of the complications of diabetes worse. First of all, alcohol impacts the liver in doing its job of regulating blood sugar. Alcohol can also interact with some medications that are prescribed to people with diabetes. Even if you only rarely drink alcohol, talk with your healthcare provider about it so that he or she knows which medications are best for you.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Alcohol interacts with diabetes medications
Alcohol can cause blood glucose levels to rise or fall, depending on how much you drink. Some diabetes pills (including sulfonylureas and meglitinides) also lower blood glucose levels by stimulating the pancreas to make more insulin. Combining the blood-sugar-lowering effects of the medication with alcohol can lead to hypoglycemia or “insulin shock,” which is a medical emergency.
2. Alcohol prevents your liver from doing its job
The main function of your liver is to store glycogen, which is the stored form of glucose, so that you will have a source of glucose when you haven’t eaten. When you drink alcohol, your liver has to work to remove it from your blood instead of working to regulate blood sugar, or blood glucose. For this reason, you should never drink alcohol when your blood glucose is already low.
3. Never drink alcohol on an empty stomach
Food slows down the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream. Be sure to eat a meal or snack containing carbohydrates if you are going to drink alcohol.
4. Always te Continue reading

Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2012

Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study updates previous estimates of the economic burden of diagnosed diabetes and quantifies the increased health resource use and lost productivity associated with diabetes in 2012.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study uses a prevalence-based approach that combines the demographics of the U.S. population in 2012 with diabetes prevalence, epidemiological data, health care cost, and economic data into a Cost of Diabetes Model. Health resource use and associated medical costs are analyzed by age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance coverage, medical condition, and health service category. Data sources include national surveys, Medicare standard analytical files, and one of the largest claims databases for the commercially insured population in the U.S.
RESULTS The total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2012 is $245 billion, including $176 billion in direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity. The largest components of medical expenditures are hospital inpatient care (43% of the total medical cost), prescription medications to treat the complications of diabetes (18%), antidiabetic agents and diabetes supplies (12%), physician office visits (9%), and nursing/residential facility stays (8%). People with diagnosed diabetes incur average medical expenditures of about $13,700 per year, of which about $7,900 is attributed to diabetes. People with diagnosed diabetes, on average, have medical expenditures approximately 2.3 times higher than what expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes. For the cost categories analyzed, care for pe Continue reading