November is National Diabetes Month, a
public health campaign that works to bring awareness to diabetes and
to encourage action towards its prevention and management. According
to the American Diabetes Association nearly 26 million children and
adults in the United States alone currently have diabetes and another
79 million Americans have pre-diabetes or are at risk of developing
type 2 diabetes. To put it another way, one in every four Americans
either currently has or is at risk for diabetes!
What is Diabetes?
A lot of people know that diabetes has
to do with sugar but they don't fully understand the disease.
Diabetes occurs when your body is unable to convert the sugar
(glucose) you consume into energy and so it builds up in your blood.
This is known as high blood sugar or hyperglycemia. The chart below
shows normal blood glucose levels for those with and without
diabetes. Hyperglycemia is when your blood sugar is higher than
these guidelines.
High blood sugar or hyperglycemia
happens for a couple of reasons that have to do with insulin
production. Insulin is a hormone that the pancreas produces and is a
necessary tool for your cells to use the glucose you consume for
energy. When you are insulin resistant, the cells do not “recognize”
the insulin your body is making and so the glucose stays in your
bloodstream. Another reason for hyperglycemia is that your pancreas
can't produce insulin at all. This is the case with type 1
diabetics, although most type 2 diabetics eventually stop producing
insulin as well.
How is Diabetes Managed?
For those who have diabetes, managing
the disease means taking measures to control your blood glucose
levels so that they stay in a healthy range. This is extremely
important as complications of poorly-managed diabetes can include
blindness, kidney failure, poor wound healing and even stroke or
heart attack.
The three most important elements of
diabetes management include self blood glucose monitoring (i.e.
checking your blood sugars), diet and medications. Diabetics are
encouraged to check their blood sugars several times a day in order
to know if they are in the healthy range. Since the glucose in our
blood comes from the food we eat, diet is a pivotal part of managing
diabetes. Carbohydrates which include grains, fruit and sweets
should be limited in the diet in order to keep blood glucose levels
from spiking. And finally, medications including pills and insulin
injections, work in different capacities to help keep blood glucose
levels within a healthy range.
How Can I Prevent Diabetes?
Being overweight and having a family
history are two strong risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes.
If you think you may be at risk, talk with your doctor, a registered
dietitian, a certified diabetes educator or any health care
professional about prevention. You can also check out these great
resources for more information:
http://ndep.nih.gov/index.aspx
http://www.eatright.org/Public/
Healthfully Yours,
Meghan