Diabetes Prevention and Management

Diabetes is a hormone disorder that can cause problems with the kidneys, legs and feet, eyes, heart, nerves, and blood flow.Diabetes can cause many complications. Acute complications (hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis or nonketotic hyperosmolar coma) may occur if the disease is not adequately controlled. Diabetes is on the increase, probably because people are living longer, getting fatter and leading increasingly inactive lifestyles. Diabetes, without qualification, usually refers to diabetes mellitus, but there are several rarer conditions also named diabetes. The most common of these is diabetes insipidus in which the urine is not sweet; it can be caused by either kidney or pituitary gland damage. The term "type 1 diabetes" has universally replaced several former terms, including childhood-onset diabetes, juvenile diabetes, and insulin-dependent diabetes. "Type 2 diabetes" has also replaced several older terms, including adult-onset diabetes, obesity-related diabetes, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes. About 3 to 8 percent of pregnant women in the United States develop gestational diabetes.

Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to remove a limb. Pregnant women can also get diabetes, called gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes mellitus—formerly known as insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM), childhood diabetes. Type 2 diabetes mellitus—previously known as adult-onset diabetes, maturity-onset diabetes, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes may include fatigue, thirst, weight loss, blurred vision and frequent urination. Some people have no symptoms. A blood test can show if you have diabetes. Exercise, weight control and sticking to your meal plan can help control your diabetes. Most people affected by type 1 diabetes are otherwise healthy and of a healthy weight when onset occurs. Diet and exercise cannot reverse or prevent type 1 diabetes. Gestational diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin. Women with gestational diabetes may not experience any symptoms.

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by recurrent or persistent hyperglycemia. Diabetes affects more than 20 million Americans. About 54 million Americans have prediabetes. Medications have also been shown to provide similar benefit. Both diabetes drugs metformin and Precose have been shown to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in people with this pre-diabetes condition. A group of medicines known as ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors are sometimes used to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular complications in diabetes and can also reduce the risk or progression of kidney and eye diseases. Microscopic or nanotechnological approaches are under investigation as well, in one proposed case with implanted stores of insulin metered out by a rapid response valve sensitive to blood glucose levels. Medications to treat diabetes include insulin and glucose-lowering pills called oral hypoglycemic drugs. Insulin preparations differ in how quickly they start to work and how long they remain active. Stop smoking, which hinders blood flow to the feet.

Diabetes Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Diabetes is usually controlled by a healthy diet and regular exercise.

2. Magnesium may play a significant role in preventing Type 2 diabetes.

3. Use of metformin, rosiglitazone and valsartan.

4. Exercise, weight control and sticking to your meal plan can help control your diabetes.

5. Glucose in the blood is produced by the liver from the foods you eat.

6. Oral medications are still insufficient, insulin medications are considered.

7. Maintaining an ideal body weight and an active lifestyle may prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

8. Strict control of blood glucose, or blood sugar, as well as blood pressure

Diabetes - "silent Killer"

Type 1 diabetes mellitus - diabetes, for short. This chemical disorder disrupts the body's ability to utilize certain nutrients, primarily a blood sugar called glucose.
Treatment for diabetes is made more difficult because a person can have the disease a long time before it is diagnosed. "Because the early symptoms are relatively mild," notes Asiaweek magazine, "diabetes often goes unrecognized." Hence, diabetes has been dubbed the silent killer.

Why Serious
Diabetes has been called "a disorder of the very engine of life," and for good reason. When the body cannot metabolize glucose, a number of vital mechanisms can break down, sometimes with life-threatening consequences. "People don't die directly from diabetes," says Dr. Harvey Katzeff, "they die from complications. We do a good job of preventing complications, but a poor job of treating [them] once they occur."

Diet and Exercise
Although Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, scientists are studying the genetic risk factors and are trying to find ways to suppress an immune attack. "With type 2, the picture is much brighter," says the book Diabetes - Caring for Your Emotions as Well as Your Health. "Many of those who might be genetically susceptible avoid showing any sign of this disease simply by eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly, thereby staying physically fit and keeping their weight within normal limits."

Underscoring the value of exercise, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported on a large study involving women. The study found that "a single bout of physical activity increases insulin-mediated glucose uptake [by the body's cells] for more than 24 hours." Hence, the report concludes that "both walking and vigorous activity are associated with substantial reductions in risk of type 2 diabetes in women." The researchers recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most if not all days of the week. This can include something as simple as walking, which, says the American Diabetes Association Complete Guide to Diabetes, "is probably the best, safest, and least expensive form of exercise."

However, exercise by people with diabetes should be professionally supervised. One reason is that diabetes can damage the vascular system and nerves, thus affecting blood circulation and feeling. Hence, a simple scratch on the foot may go unnoticed, get infected, and turn into an ulcer - a serious condition that may lead to amputation if not treated immediately.

Insulin Therapy
Many with diabetes must supplement their diet and exercise program with daily testing of glucose levels along with multiple insulin injections. As a result of improved health through diet and a good routine of exercise, some with Type 2 diabetes have been able, at least for a time, to discontinue insulin therapy. Karen, who has Type 1 diabetes, found that exercise increases the efficiency of the insulin she injects. As a result, she has been able to cut her daily insulin requirements by 20 percent.

If insulin is needed, however, there is no reason for the sufferer to feel discouraged. "Going on insulin does not imply failure on your part," says Mary Ann, a registered nurse who cares for a number of diabetes patients. "Whatever form of diabetes you have, if you carefully control your blood sugar, you will minimize other health problems later." In fact, a recent study revealed that people with Type 1 who kept strict control of their blood-sugar levels "had drastic reductions in the occurrence of diabetic eye, kidney, and nerve diseases." The risk of eye disease (retinopathy), for instance, was cut by 76 percent! Those with Type 2 who keep tight control of their blood-sugar levels enjoy similar benefits.

To make insulin therapy easier and less traumatic, syringes and insulin pens - the most common tools used - have microfine needles that give minimal discomfort. "The first shot is usually the worst," says Mary Ann. "After that, most patients say they hardly feel a thing." Other methods of injection include automatic injectors that shoot a needle into the skin painlessly, jet injectors that literally fire insulin through the skin by means of a fine jet blast, and infusers that employ a catheter that stays in place for two or three days. About the size of a pocket pager, the insulin pump has gained popularity in recent years. This programmable device dispenses insulin through a catheter at a steady rate according to the body's daily needs, making insulin administration more precise and convenient.

Keep Learning
All told, there is no blanket therapy for diabetes. When considering treatment, each individual must take into account a number of factors in order to make a personal decision. "Even though you may be under the care of a medical team," says Mary Ann, "you are in the driver's seat." In fact, the journal Diabetes Care states: "Medical treatment of diabetes without systematic self-management education can be regarded as substandard and unethical care."

The more those with diabetes learn about their disease, the better equipped they will be to manage their health and increase their prospects of living a longer, healthier life.

The Role of Glucose
Glucose fuels the body's trillions of cells. To enter the cells, however, it needs a "key" - insulin, a chemical released by the pancreas. With Type 1 diabetes, insulin is simply not available. With Type 2, the body makes insulin but usually not enough. Moreover, the cells are reluctant to let insulin in - a condition called insulin resistance. With both forms of diabetes, the result is the same: hungry cells and dangerous levels of sugar in the blood.

In Type 1 diabetes, a person's immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Hence, Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease and is sometimes called immune-mediated diabetes. Factors that can trigger an immune reaction include viruses, toxic chemicals, and certain drugs. Genetic makeup may also be implicated, for Type 1 diabetes often runs in families, and it is most common among Caucasians.

With Type 2 diabetes, the genetic factor is even stronger but with a greater occurrence among non-Caucasians. Australian Aborigines and Native Americans are among the most affected, the latter having the highest rate of Type 2 diabetes in the world. Researchers are studying the relationship between genetics and obesity, as well as the way excess fat seems to promote insulin resistance in genetically susceptible people. Unlike Type 1, Type 2 diabetes occurs mainly in those who are over 40 years of age.

About 90 percent of those with diabetes have Type 2. Previously, this was referred to as "non-insulin dependent" or "adult onset" diabetes. However, these terms are imprecise, for up to 40 percent of those with Type 2 diabetes require insulin. Furthermore, an alarming number of young people - some not even in their teens - are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

The Role of the Pancreas
About the size of a banana, the pancreas lies just behind the stomach. According to the book The Unofficial Guide to Living With Diabetes, "the healthy pancreas performs a continuous and exquisite balancing act, managing to sustain smooth, stable blood-sugar levels by releasing just the right amount of insulin as glucose levels wax and wane throughout the day." Beta cells within the pancreas are the source of the hormone insulin.

When beta cells fail to produce enough insulin, glucose builds up in the blood, causing hyperglycemia. The opposite - low blood sugar - is called hypoglycemia. In concert with the pancreas, the liver helps manage blood-sugar levels by storing excess glucose in a form called glycogen. When commanded by the pancreas, the liver converts glycogen back into glucose for use by the body

The Role of Sugar
It is a common misconception that eating a lot of sugar causes diabetes. Medical evidence shows that getting fat - regardless of sugar intake - increases the risk among genetically susceptible individuals. Still, eating too much sugar is unhealthy, since it provides poor nutrition and contributes to obesity.

Another misconception is that people with diabetes have an abnormal craving for sugar. In reality, though, they have the same desire for sweets as most others. When it is not controlled, diabetes can lead to hunger - but not necessarily for sugar. People with diabetes can eat sweets, but they must factor their sugar intake into their overall diet plan.

Diabetes and Your Vision

Up to 80% of all patients who have had diabetes for 10 years or longer may suffer from complications of diabetes mellitus or damage to the retina; also called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the blood vessels in the eye caused by diabetes. It is the leading cause of visual loss among American adults aged 20 to 65 Research has indicated at least 90% of new diabetic related cases could be avoided with proper and vigilant treatment and mointoring of the eyes. Symptoms There generally are no early warning signs or pain associated with diabetic retinopathy. Characteristic signs of retinal changes may be seen during examination of the retina. Severe retinopathy may develop prior to noticeable vision loss, with late sudden onset of vision loss with hemorrhage or retinal detachment. If the symptoms of proliferative retinopathy if bleeding occurs at first, you will see a few specks of blood, or spots, "floating" in your vision. If spots occur, see your eye care professional as soon as possible. You may need treatment before more serious bleeding occurs. Hemorrhages tend to happen more than once, often during sleep. Sometimes, without treatment, the spots clear, and you will see better. However, bleeding can reoccur and cause severely blurred vision. You need to be examined by your eye care professional at the first sign of blurred vision, before more bleeding occurs. If left untreated, proliferative retinopathy can cause severe vision loss and even blindness. Also, the earlier you receive treatment, the more likely treatment will be effective Cause & Risk Approximately 40 percent of all people with diabetes have at least mild diabetic retinopathy affects both type 1 and type 2 diabetics. Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of blindness and tends to be particularly severe in type 1 diabetes. In general, the longer one has had diabetes, the greater are one's chances of developing diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy generally takes at least eight years to develop in juvenile onset diabetes, but may be present at the time adult onset diabetes is first diagnosed. High blood pressure and high cholesterol in the blood are additional risk factors that your doctor will address. Diagnosis Because diabetic retinopathy can begin and get a foothold before it causes symptoms, all patients with diabetes should have an eye examination with pupils dilated at least once a year. Often your doctor will take photographs of your retinas. A dye, called fluorescein, may be injected in the blood stream to show further details of the circulation in the retina. This is called fluorescein angiography. Diabetic retinopathy has four stages: 1. Mild Nonproliferative Retinopathy. At this earliest stage, microaneurysms occur. They are small areas of balloon-like swelling in the retina's tiny blood vessels. 2. Moderate Nonproliferative Retinopathy. As the disease progresses, some blood vessels that nourish the retina are blocked. 3. Severe Nonproliferative Retinopathy. Many more blood vessels are blocked, depriving several areas of the retina with their blood supply. These areas of the retina send signals to the body to grow new blood vessels for nourishment. 4. Proliferative Retinopathy. At this advanced stage, the signals sent by the retina for nourishment trigger the growth of new blood vessels. This condition is called proliferative retinopathy. These new blood vessels are abnormal and fragile. They grow along the retina and along the surface of the clear, vitreous gel that fills the inside of the eye. By themselves, these blood vessels do not cause symptoms or vision loss. However, they have thin, fragile walls. If they leak blood, severe vision loss and even blindness can result. Treatment Proper treatment of diabetic retinopathy can cut the risk of vision loss by over half. Treatment before diabetic retinopathy causes severe loss is much more effective than later in the disease. For this reason, early diagnosis is critical in order to prevent visual loss and blindness. Control of diabetes and blood pressure is important; intensive control of blood glucose can delay onset and slow progression of retinopathy. There are treatments for diabetic retinopathy which usually include laser surgery or “vitrectomy”. It involves removing the cloudy vitreous and replacing it with a salt solution. Because the vitreous is mostly water, you will notice no change between the salt solution and the normal vitreous. Although laser surgery and vitrectomy are very successful, they do not cure diabetic retinopathy. Once you have proliferative retinopathy, you will always be at risk for new bleeding. This means you may need treatment more than once to protect your sight. Prevention There are ways to prevent or lessen the risk of eye damage caused by diabetes. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial proved that careful control of blood glucose levels may prevent the development of diabetic retinopathy. Regular eye examinations are especially important for children who have had diabetes for 5 years or longer, for adults at the time of diagnosis, for those who have difficulty controlling the level of sugar in their blood, and for diabetic women who are considering becoming pregnant. All of these people are at increased risk for diabetes-related eye problems. To protect your vision get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year and remember that damage to the vision can occur without symptoms. For more click on Diabetes and Your Vision; Symptoms, Treatment and Risk. At Austin County Eye Associates our focus is on you and the best options for your eye vision care.

Type 2 Diabetes Patients Weary of Byetta

Byetta (exenatide) is a type 2 diabetes treatment that controls glucose, or blood sugar, levels in individuals who are non-insulin dependent. The injectable drug, manufactured by Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly, was approved for market use in 2005. The drug was recently the center of an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after several individuals were hospitalized for serious Byetta risks.

The FDA announced it would be increasing the warnings on the drug to include the risk of fatal pancreas conditions including hemorrhagic pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas also associated with bleeding, and necrotizing pancreatitis, a pancreas that becomes inflamed and attempts to destroy itself.

Two of the six patients that were hospitalized in August 2008 from the Byetta dangers died because of their conditions. Additionally, 30 cases of acute pancreatitis, sudden pancreatic inflammation, were reported in October 2007 at which point the drug’s makers agreed to include acute pancreatitis on the “precautions” section of the drug’s label.

Side Effects of Byetta

Byetta assists in insulin production from the pancreas and is described as an “injectable pen” that is used one hour prior to eating a meal and should be administered twice a day, according to manufacturers. The drug can be administered directly under the skin usually in the upper arm or thigh or the stomach area, but a spot should be predetermined with a physician.

There are several common Byetta side effects that are associated with consumption of the drug including:

* hunger
* headache
* vomiting
* feeling jittery
* dyspepsia
* diarrhea
* dizziness

While the above side effects are considered normal for a patient to experience, the following side effects have been associated with what Byetta’s manufacturers consider “rare” side effects although a medical professional should be consulted immediately. The serious side effects include:

# hives
# difficulty breathing
# swelling of face, lips, tongue or throat
# pain in the upper stomach
# pain in the back
# nausea/vomiting
# increased heart rate


These Byetta dangers may lead to additional fatalities and patients are advised to discontinue use immediately while also consulting their physician.

Byetta Legal Consultation

Byetta patients who have suffered from any of the above symptoms may be at risk for pancreatitis and should consult medical assistance immediately. Additionally, consulting with a pharmaceutical attorney will increase the potential for receiving monetary compensation for the damages caused by Byetta risks. The opportunity for becoming involved with a Byetta class action lawsuit can be discussed with a knowledgeable lawyer, many of whom offer a free legal consultation to Byetta victims.

Learning to Cope With Diabetes

There are three different types of diabetes that are very common today. Diabetes effects millions of people around the world and it can be a life threatening disease if it is not properly treated or treated in time. Many people may not even know that they have diabetes. That is why it is so important to talk to your doctor about your family history and get regular checkups with your doctor.

Getting the right medications for your health conditions is very important. With the right medicines and a good exercise program, along with a good diet, you should be able to take care of yourself with only some limitations. You can lead a very normal life if you have diabetes. Of course you do have to take the right care of it.

Some people are choosing to only try natural remedies, which can benefit your diabetes symptoms almost as well as a prescribed medicine, but others may not have a choice but to have insulin injections, sometimes as often as six times per day. Listening to your health care physician is vital after being diagnosed with diabetes. He will be able to assist you on what types of medicines that you will need. He will also talk to you more about which kind of exercise program you will need to start on. And, of course, your diet which is vital to maintain.

After being diagnosed with diabetes you will have to monitor your blood sugar levels every single day. Your doctor might even ask you to keep a journal on these daily readings so that he will have the ability to view them upon your follow up visits. This will keep him informed on your progress and allow him to make any slight adjustments that may be needed to your medications. He will be able to determine by these daily readings if your medications,diet and exercise program are helping you as much as they should be. If not, then he will know what needs to be done from there. It is important to keep up with this kind of information for him so you will have the proper treatments.

Different Types of Diabetes

There are three different types of diabetes that are very common today.

Type1 Type2 Gestational

When a woman becomes pregnant she will find that during the last trimester of her pregnancy her doctor will be checking her for what is called gestational diabetes. Usually if a woman is diagnosed with this type of diabetes during pregnancy, after giving birth, their glucose levels will go back to normal. The risk of diabetes is still there, up to 10 years after delivery or if she has a family history of diabetes. If a woman develops this type of diabetes during her pregnancy, her child will be at higher risk of becoming diabetic sometime throughout their life.

The most common type of diabetes is Type 2 diabetes. This is the kind of diabetes where the patient is not dependent on insulin shots. Being overweight has a lot to do with someone getting this type of diabetes, however, that is not the only thing to blame for it. With some people it may be genetic while with others it is caused by a high blood pressure level. Becoming physically active can help when treating this type of diabetes, along with a proper diet and medicine that your doctor will prescribe. He can give you an exercise program to follow along with the right kinds of food you should be eating. Number one rule is-follow your doctors orders fully.

The other kind of diabetes is Type 1 diabetes. This type is usually caused by pure genetics or your diet. This type of diabetes means that you are insulin dependent. Depending on the severity of this type of diabetes will determine how many shots you will need each and every day. As with the other types of diabetes it is vital that you put yourself on a regular exercise program along with a proper diet. Always get regular check ups with your family doctor. The patients pancreas is not producing any amount of insulin at all and that is the reason it is called autoimmune diabetes. If not treated properly and promptly, this can be the most dangerous one of all.

Enjoying Sweets With Your Diabetes

Many people believe that people with diabetes can not, in any way, have the enjoyments of indulging occasionally or ever, in getting to eat sweets. Those of you who are suffering with diabetes, if you do not already know, will be very happy to hear that you can in fact enjoy those sweet pleasures once in awhile. It is all about moderation, not just for people suffering from diabetes, but for everyone. The problem with any foods that are bad for us, is that so many of us eat entirely too much.

Studies have shown that people with diabetes that do enjoy the occasional sweets do have to worry about their blood sugars rising a little bit too quickly, but that also happens with any kinds of fatty carbohydrate foods that a diabetic might eat. I am not telling all diabetics to go out and get sweets anytime they please but just that if you choose to, if you crave it, if you feel like you need it, go for it, just do not over indulge yourself too much ok. It is important to keep your blood sugar in check at all times when you have diabetes.

If you do decide you want sweets one evening, just plan for the occasion, eat less carbohydrates throughout the day to give your body a fair shot at a tasty treat. Just remember to watch your portions. If you are creating your own special sweets then perhaps you could consider substituting the real sugar for one of the new substitues . That is very helpful when trying to watch your weight and also keeping an eye on your blood sugar levels. Having diabetes does not mean that you are going to suffer from now on with cravings that you can not ever satisfy.

Drinking Coffee For Diabetes

Now for the really good news for coffee drinkers. It has been discovered that drinking caffeine coffee actually reduces your risks of becoming a diabetic and it also helps in the many types of treatments for people who have type 2 diabetes. Many people may not be aware of this, so you should all consider doing a little research on the ways that coffee can actually help your health and talk it over with your family doctor. Several studies have been done on whether or not this is really accurate and the results are overwhelming in the ways that coffee can actually help your health. Usually women have more of a resistance to insulin than men do, so women may benefit from this knowledge more than anyone else. The fact of the matter is that with these studies, they have actually found that the risks for diabetes is going down somewhat with the increase of coffee consumption. Many people might be really happy with these findings because drinking coffee is something that many people all around the world enjoy, usually on an everyday basis.

If you are suffering from type 2 diabetes, drinking coffee several times a day will help with your insulin secretion because of the effects coffee has on your gastrointestinal hormones throughout your body. You can lower your glucose absorption rate and lessen your chances of futher complications by having a cup of coffee daily. Not only does your consumption of caffeine coffees help reduce your risks of diabetes and helps in treating some diabetes, it will also help in controlling a woman's cholesterol levels.

Diabetes:what You Should Know

This article will explain what you need to know about Diabetes before you or someone you know are unpleasantly surprised.

Diabetes affects around 16 million Americans and about 800,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

A diagnosis of diabetes is made if your blood glucose reading is 126 mg/dl or higher. People with Type I Diabetes are subject to episodes in which blood glucose levels are very high (hyperglycemia) and very low (hypoglycemia). There are two primary reasons for Diabetes, 1) A prolonged diet high in carbohydrates and 2) Improper and under nourishment. Today, most people with diabetes are only treating the symptoms and not getting to the root of the problem. The prevalence of diabetes has been steadily increasing world over. Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that is needed to convert sugar and starches into energy needed for daily activity. Type 1 Diabetes is also called Insulin Dependent Diabetes. Insulin is a very important hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy-the energy we need for daily life. Diabetes is a disease that develops over time, and your health care provider can help you find out whether you are likely to become a diabetic. Diabetes does not care who you are, if testing is painful or if you are tired. Type 2 diabetes is sometimes referred to as mature onset diabetes.
Type II diabetes, in the past, was relegated to the adult population. This form of diabetes is mainly found in children. Smoking is another important risk factor. Among men who smoke, the risk of developing diabetes is doubled. Of the many types of Diabetes, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational. diabetes and pre-diabetes are the most common. Before the discovery of insulin, type 1 diabetes was fatal. Doing the right things to take care of diabetes can also help to take care of your heart as well. Most Type 2 diabetics don’t have symptoms because the onset. Typically, this type of diabetes will occur during the last three months of the pregnancy , but may potentially occur before that time.

Of the many types of Diabetes, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational. Diabetes and pre-diabetes are the most common.

Twenty to fifty percent may develop Type 2 diabetes later in life. Children of mothers with gestational diabetes are more at risk for obesity and developing diabetes as teens or adults. It is quite possible to live and eat quite nicely with diabetes if you stick to your plan. The most important thing about dieting with diabetes is that you never lose sight of how crucial it is to do so. Through losing weight, getting the right amount of exercise and controlling your diet, you can manage. Juvenile Onset diabetes is another major form of diabetes that affects many children. The challenge with pre-diabetes is the fact that the condition doesn’t like to reveal itself with noticeable symptoms.

The experience teaches that a mere elimination of symptoms is short-lived, as the underlying causes will soon give birth to new symptoms. Diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. One of the main causes is overweight. There are a number of causes which give rise to diabetes.
Recently more children are being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The aim with the treatment of both types of Diabetes is to have blood glucose levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels as near to average as is possible.

You can prevent or at the very least delay onset of type II diabetes with proper nutrition and exercise.

The thought of getting a disease such as diabetes can be worrisome, it helps to be aware of what diabetes symptoms are and be able to recognize them early enough to get the help you will need to get the disease under control.

For people who are heavily dependent on medicines, exercise cannot replace drugs but it does contribute to normalizing the glucose metabolism.

There have been reports of women diabetics who experienced a decline in sexual activities due to the lack of sensation.

And most diabetics develop heart disease. Research has repeatedly shown that regular physical activity helps reduce the likelihood of having a heart attack or a stroke, aids in weight loss, and improves mood.

It is a very serious disorder, sometimes fatal and is the leading cause of death in Western society because of its damage to the cardiovascular system.

With exercise, weight loss and a healthy diet, pre-diabetic people can and have managed to bring down their glucose levels and have escaped the threat of an insulin-dependent life.

The cause of diabetes is somewhat a mystery, although both family history and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.

Ketoacidosis is most often seen in Type I diabetics, individuals whose pancreas does not produce enough insulin to allow their cells to take in glucose for metabolism (also the most common form of childhood diabetes).

It should come as no surprise that one of the major causes for the increase in diabetes is due to the obesity problem.

If proper treatment and medication is not administered, at times aggressively, it can lead to fatal complications .

In our days diabetes becomes a big problem even when patients are given insulin and stay on strict diets.

Doctors have always asked themselves why some people develop diabetes and some not, and so, by studying, they have discovered that there are some factors that interfere with the installation of diabetes.

As many studies have shown that an increase in UCP2 function has an important role in pathogenesis of diabetes, this genipin with its inhibitor action on UCP2, represents a solution for improving beta cell function in type 2 diabetes.

Faqs On Storing And Preserving Diabetic Supplies

Preserving and storing your medication is very important, if you want to derive the maximum benefit from them. In this article, we deal with some common FAQs on storing diabetic supplies.

I am diabetic on oral medication. How do I store all my medicines?
Store all your medicines in a cool, dry and dust-free place. If you have been instructed to consume more than one type of medicine, put each variety in a neatly labeled box or cover. You also get many small plastic containers today, specially made to store a variety of medications. That will come of great use to you, as you will be able to access them all from one single place.

How do I store insulin?

It is advisable to store insulin in the refrigerator, as its potency might get disturbed if placed outside for long periods of time.

I cannot carry insulin with me at work as I cannot refrigerate it.

Though it is good to keep insulin refrigerated, it does not mean that you cannot carry it at all. Insulin vials or pens can be kept at room temperate for current use, though not future use.

I am told it is unsafe to use insulin pens at room temperature.

If it is for your current dosage, you will actually be at advantage using an insulin pen or vial at room temperature, as it would otherwise cause some pain and discomfort while injecting refrigerated insulin. Of course, you definitely need to put it in the fridge if you intend to preserve it for future use.

For how long can I store my insulin vials at room temperature?

Usually, insulin vials can be stored outside for about 4 weeks, though it is not altogether desirable to do that. Vials that are kept outside for more than 4 weeks should be discarded without using. Insulin pens can be kept this way for about 15-28 days, depending on its type.

What temperature should I store the insulin at?

Insulin should be stored at a temperature of 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit. In case the insulin freezes, discard it immediately, as insulin loses its potency at freezing point.

Can I use the product after the expiry date?

No. Never use an insulin vial which is past its expiry period – it would lose its potency by then. Also, always check the expiry date before purchasing your product.

My insulin vial looks cloudy. Can I use it?

Some insulin brands are naturally cloudy, while many others are clear. Whatever be the case, do not use the vial if you can see particles or clumps floating in it.

I am traveling with medication. What should I take care of?

Arrive at the airport well before time. Pack up your medication in a different pouch and keep it with you in your hand baggage. Inform the security personnel about your medication and equipment and get a visual or physical inspection done if need be.

Make sure to preserve your diabetic supplies the proper way. Be particular about your medication schedule and you will already be well on your way to good health! In case you still have more questions regarding storage, do contact your physician and see to it that all your doubts are completely cleared.

10 Things You Should Do While Traveling With Diabetes Supplies

A lot of people do not understand the true importance of carrying all diabetes supplies required, while traveling. It is one thing if you merely travel from home to workplace and back everyday. In that case, it becomes easy for you to regulate your medication schedule and keep supplies handy all the time. But if you are traveling outside your city or country, you should be very particular to see that you carry your supplies with you and never run out of your medication ever.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA), in conjunction with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), has chalked out a set of tips you can follow, so that you are safe and danger-free all through the period of your travel.
Both the organizations have joined hands to ensure that passengers traveling by airplanes carry their medical supplies and equipment with them in their hand luggage. They also see to it that there is no trouble given to patients who evidently suffer from this disorder, even during times when there is a security threat in some way.

In case you are diabetic and desperately need to carry medication and other equipment with you while traveling, please do the following:

1. Arrive at the airport about 2-3 hours before departure, so that you have enough time for a detailed inspection at various checkpoints, if need be.

2. Be patient if the whole process takes time – some newer security measures are stringent and it will be in your best interest to co-operate to the fullest extent.

3. Let the authorities (especially the screener) know that you are carrying diabetes medication with you. So you will have no trouble passing through various checkpoints.

4. Insulin should not be packed away in cargo. Also, though it can safely pass through X-ray, it cannot be exposed to it for very long periods of time. So you could request hand-inspection instead.

5. Liquid medication, emergency kits and apparatus such as insulin dispensing products or syringes should be identified with the label containing them. Further, the products’ names should match that mentioned in your ticket.

6. If the liquids or gels to treat hypoglycemia are more than 3 ounces, you need to declare these with the security personnel. Additionally, you could also carry some sweets or candies with you, to treat sudden and unexpected hypoglycemia.

7. Blood sugar monitors, strips, alcohol swabs, lancets, insulin pumps and their cleaning agents, catheters and needles, infusion kits and batteries too need to be declared with the concerned security personnel.

8. You may be asked to go through a visual inspection or frisking if you use an insulin pump. Do inform the personnel that you cannot remove the pump as it is attached to a catheter inserted under the skin. Insulin pumps must also be labeled correctly.

9. Before a visual inspection, keep your medication in a separate pouch, so as to avoid confusion. In case the label is not very clear, it will have to be X-rayed and inspected.

10. Incase you develop hypoglycemia anytime during of after the security check, inform the personnel about your problem without delay.

Follow the above-mentioned tips while traveling with your diabetes supplies and rest assured, you will have a safe and comfortable journey!

Natural Cures For Diabetes

I have often heard diabetic people saying that they are tired of all the drugs their doctors have prescribed to them. On the other part they've begun to have liver or any other body's organ problems.

The same happened to my parents too. They used to have an entire plastic box with lots of diabetics medications. They don't want to have it any more.
So, there are many attempts to find out the natural cures for diabetes, with no more drugs' plastic box and their devastating side effects. All the remedy you can find in nature. I did it for my parents too.

At the beginning I did not believe it would work. But, when I began to serve them to my parents, I was astonished by the results. Their blood sugar level shifted down and their problems with skin infection and leg numbness were almost gone. I was pleased to see my parents happy with a lower blood sugar level.

What I've done was to try what I've learned about some herbs and vitamins and minerals that can help diabetic people to lower blood sugar level, and help them to have a happier life with less problems and side effects beating diabetes naturally.

Some of these natural cures for diabetes are included in one combination that can easily help diabetics:

bitter melon-which is high in insulin;

cinnamon-which has some components that can lower blood sugar level,
gymnema sylvestre-enhances the insulin production, banaba, vitamin C, chromium, garlic, and many other.

Diabetes Risk For Men

Men with diabetes face several health concerns, including increased risk of heart attacks and strokes and impotence (not being able to have or keep an erection).

Above the age of 50, the likelihood of having difficulties with an erection occurs in approximately 50-60% of men with diabetes. In men over 70, 90% have erectile dysfunction problems (link to diabetes and ED page)
Diagnosed and controlled, diabetes can be successfully managed to minimize its impact on health and well being. You can prevent or delay diabetes complications like damage to eye sight and nerve damage to fingers and toes. However many men do not realize they suffer from the disease. Around one third of the men with diabetes are not aware of their illness.
Diabetes Signs and Symptoms
If you find yourself with any of the following symptoms, it is important you visit your doctor or health practitioner and get tested for diabetes:
• feeling tired
• frequent urination (especially at night)
• being very thirsty
• weight loss
• blurry eyesight
• recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections
• sores that heal slowly
• dry, itchy skin
• loss of feeling or tingling in your feet

Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
There are different kinds of diabetes:
• Type 1 diabetes is usually first diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults.
• Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. People can develop it at any age, but it is often diagnosed in later life and is commonly found in men who are over weight and do little exercise.

What is Diabetes?
Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (sugar) for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas makes insulin, which helps sugar get into the cells. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use the insulin it does make. This causes sugar to build up in your blood. Over the years, high blood sugar leads to problems like heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve problems, gum infections, and amputations.

Diabetes-Related Problems in Men
Men with diabetes suffer more from some diabetes-related health problems than women. The American Diabetes Association reports that:
• In people who develop diabetes before the age of 30, men develop retinopathy (a vision disorder that can lead to blindness) more quickly than women.
• Having the main symptoms of peripheral vascular disease (pain in the thigh, calf, or buttocks during exercise) is linked to a two- to three-fold increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, or cardiac failure in men with diabetes.
• Amputation rates from diabetes-related problems are 1.4 to 2.7 times higher in men than women with diabetes.

“Beer Pot” Belly Equals High Diabetes Risk
Overall obesity, measured by high body mass index (BMI) and a “beer pot” belly, measured by a large waist circumference, both accurately predict the risk of type 2 diabetes in men, but abdominal obesity appears to be the better predictor, new research shows.*
Both BMI and waist circumference are useful for assessing health but waist circumference can indicate a strong risk for diabetes whether or not a man is considered overweight or obese according to his BMI, researchers said.
As waist circumference increased, so did the risk of developing diabetes, with the risk in men with the highest waist circumference (up to 158 centimetres) increasing by 12 times.

The study findings also suggest that the currently recommended cut-off for high waist circumference of 102 cm (40 inches) for men may need to be lowered to 95 cm.

Many of the men who developed type 2 diabetes had measurements lower than the cut-off and the risk associated with the waist circumference increased at a much lower level than previously thought.

Sleeping Too Much Or Too Little Increases Diabetes Risk
Men who sleep too much or too little are at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the New England Research Institutes in collaboration with Yale School of Medicine researchers.
Six to eight hours of sleep was found to be most healthy.
In contrast, men who reported they slept between five and six hours per night were twice as likely to develop diabetes and men who slept more than eight hours per night were three times as likely to develop diabetes. Previous data have shown similar results in women.

The elevated risks remained after adjustment for age, hypertension, smoking status, self-rated health status and education.
Too little sleep appears to produce metabolic disturbances like decreased carbohydrate tolerance, insulin resistance, and lower levels of the hormone leptin leading to obesity. The mechanisms by which long sleep duration increase diabetes risk requires further investigation.
You Can Delay or Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
When you take steps to prevent diabetes, you also lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputation.
Small changes in your lifestyle can make a difference.
They include:
• Getting 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week and losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight.
• To help you lose weight, choose low-fat foods and foods high in fiber.
• Cut down on fat and cholesterol by having low-fat dairy products, lean cuts of meat, fish, poultry, fruits, and vegetables.
• Limit foods high in salt and sugar.
Know Your Risks That Can Lead to Type 2 Diabetes
It's important to find out early if you have type 2 diabetes or if you are at risk of developing it. To find out if you're at risk, check off each item that applies to you.
• I am overweight or obese. (Obesity is measured with a body mass index (BMI), which shows the relationship of weight to height.)
• I have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.
• My family background is African American, American Indian, Asian American, Latino, Maori or Pacific Islander.
• I have high blood pressure.
• My cholesterol is not normal. My HDL or "good" cholesterol is less than 50 or my triglycerides are 250 or higher.
• I am not very active. I exercise less than three times each week.

Talk to your doctor or health care practitioner about the risks that you checked off. If you are age 45 or older, also talk about getting tested for Type 2 diabetes. If your test result is normal, you should then be tested every three years. People younger than age 45 who are overweight or obese and checked off any of the items above should also talk about getting tested for diabetes
* SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2005.
Is there a natural Answer for Diabetes-Related Erectile Dysfunction?
Many researchers and satisfied customers of potent herbal formulations like Herbal Ignite give an enthusiastic yes to this question. Products like Herbal Ignite boost natural testosterone levels without the negative feedback associated with Hormone Replacement Therapy. Herbal Ignite capsules help your body produce more testosterone, instead of adding outside testosterone from an outside source.

Herbal Ignite to enhance virility and reduce male menopause symptoms has been researched and refined by modern science so today’s men can enjoy quality controlled extracts of concentrated active ingredients.

Herbal Ignite’s special formula has helped thousands of men enjoy a better sex life and an improved sense of well being with minimal unwanted side effects
To find out more about Herbal Ignite just Google the term “Herbal Ignite”.

A Guide To Dieting For Diabetics

Even if your are diagnosed with diabetes you can think beyond eating bland food all your life. You do although need to learn which food is acceptable and what food is not for your system. It is imperative that you draw up a healthy diet plan that will keep your life healthy and give you the nutrients that your body needs to keep heart disease away.

What is really bad for the diabetic to eat? This is what would be a bad diet for everyone else. The answer is a diet that is high in fat, salt, sugar and the over processed foods that you can find. Such food items are known to contain poly saturated fats or trans fat, which remain unaffected by exercise. They are going to stay in the body only to clog up the arteries. For a diabetic nothing can be worse for the diet and this will make him an easy target for heart disease, stroke, and other heart problems that can lead to complications.
This will not mean that you have to cut out the fat forever, however some fats are healthy and necessary. The trick lies in knowing which are suitable for a diabetic and which are not. Fats are found mostly in processed foods and found in most of the fast food restaurants and are not healthy. Omega -3 fatty acids are found more in fish and are very good for diabetics due to the fact that they can help decrease the risk of sudden heart attack. When you are working on your diet, you need to remember that you can still have some sugars and fats but in lower amounts. The way that these foods act with your body will increase the chances of health problems happening in your body. You need to eliminate them from your diet so that you can have the good effects for your health that your body needs for a certain amount of fat to be healthier.

You need to control your intake of carbohydrates because it is important for diabetics. This is because the extra carbohydrates will convert to sugars in the body and diabetics should be careful about the amount of getting too many carbohydrates in their diet. This will affect their blood sugar levels. It would be good ideas to understand how to count carbs. You can then decide how much to eat and with what type of meal.

Your being diagnosed with diabetes does not restrict your food intake to a diet that is made up of only food with no taste. You can still have the foods that you want as long as you keep the portions under control. It is about taking control so that you are not eating more than what your body can process and that is the diet that everyone should have in their life to be healthy and happy too.

Diabetes Insipidus Manifesting As Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes Mellitus is characterized by many typical symptoms like fatigue, weight loss, loss of energy, stomach cramps, neuropathy and so on. One other common diabetes symptom is Diabetes Insipidus. Read on to find out more about this symptom.

What is Diabetes Insipidus?

Diabetes Insipidus or DI as it is usually referred to is a diabetes related disorder that causes the diabetic to pass tremendous amounts of urine. He also feels a heightened sense of thirst, which forces him to drink more fluids, consequently releasing more urinary output.

Several things working together maintain the fluid balance in the body. The Antidiuretic hormone or the ADH, which is generated by the pituitary, is one of the most important things that control this delicate balance. This hormone influences the amount of fluids the kidneys can absorb into the system and the amount it can treat as output.

When the pituitary gland detects the presence of lesser fluid than necessary, it automatically increases the level of ADH. This way, the kidney retains more water inside the system and throws out much less. This also happens vice versa. When the body is normal and healthy, this balanced is perfectly well regulated.

Diabetes Insipidus, which is a core symptom of Diabetes Mellitus, occurs when the pituitary ends up producing much lesser ADH than necessary. Either that, or the kidneys lose their ability to respond to the ADH present in the body. Either way, the person suffering from DI passes a whole lot more urine than normally acceptable. Also, the patient’s blood is normally highly concentrated with a high degree of solute and much less fluid volume.

Symptoms of DI

Symptoms of DI include extreme fatigue and weakness, even mild fever, low blood pressure, fast pulse, dizziness, irritability and general confusion.

When DI can be suspected

DI should be suspected if the patient suddenly feels a heightened amount of thirst, consumes an abnormally high amount of water and also registers much higher amounts of urine than normal. This urine, when tested in the laboratory, will be very dilute in liquid and very concentrate in solute. Examination of the blood too will show low volumes of fluid content.

A water deprivation test should be performed on the patient to reveal the real intensity of the disorder. For this, the patient is required to stop intake of fluids and is checked every hour. Also, his weight before the test is recorded. The test is stopped when the following occurs:

- He loses more than 5 percent of his body weight
- His blood pressure takes a steep dip and pulse rate rises
- His urine samples do not register a significant change even after stopping the water intake

Treatment

There are many medicines available today which function to decrease the quantity of urine produced in the body. They include injections, inhalations, antidiuretic drugs and so on. Some patients will also need to stick to a certain diet, as advised by the physician.

Taking in enough water and fluids can easily control the simplest, most uncomplicated form of diabetes insipidus. But if this particular diabetes symptom is neglected, it can lead to several serious complications at a later time and may even turn fatal if left unattended to.

Alternative Treatment

CAM treatments are recognised to ease the suffering of many people with chronic diseases, including diabetes. However, before subscribing to any alternative therapies, it is necessary to consult your diabetes health-care team and your doctor, to see how each individual therapy will affect your personal condition.

This section of diabetes.co.uk provides a detailed selection of useful information about alternative therapies, and how they can affect diabetes. Complementary medicine, when practised correctly, considers all aspects of a patient’s life, as well as their physical and mental health, before prescribing anything. Some therapies will work for some individuals, others simply will not.

Treatment for Diabetes

Successful treatment makes all the difference to long-term health, and achieving balanced diabetes treatment can be the key to living with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Treatment varies for each individual, not simply on the type of diabetes that they have, but also more individual-specific diabetic treatment differences.

When treating diabetes, management strategies should be planned along with a qualified health care team. Never make changes to treatment schedule or management routine without consulting a medical professional, no matter what advice you are given elsewhere.

The following information on treatments for diabetes is from the National Diabetes Fact Sheet: National estimates and general information on diabetes in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlanta , GA : US Department of Health and Human Services, 1997):

"Diabetes knowledge, treatment, and prevention strategies advance daily. Treatment is aimed at keeping blood glucose near normal levels at all times. Training in self-management is integral to the treatment of diabetes. Treatment must be individualized and must address medical, psychosocial, and lifestyle issues."

A variety of different factors have a role to play in treating diabetes, but the importance of balanced, co-ordinated diabetes treatment for all diabetics cannot be underestimated. Regular and successful treatment decreases the risk of each patient developing diabetes complications. The basics of diabetes treatment are broken down into each diabetic type below.

Treatment of Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes treatment is a daily task. Lack of insulin production by the pancreas makes Type 1 diabetes is particularly difficult to control. Treatment requires a strict regimen that typically includes a carefully calculated diet, planned physical activity, home blood glucose testing several times a day, and multiple daily insulin injections.

Treatment of Type 2 diabetes

Treatment typically includes diet control, exercise, home blood glucose testing, and in some cases, oral medication and/or insulin. Approximately 40% of people with type 2 diabetes require insulin injections.

Pre-Diabetes

Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have "pre-diabetes" -- blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. There are 57 million people in the United States who have pre-diabetes. Recent research has shown that some long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system, may already be occurring during pre-diabetes.

Research has also shown that if you take action to manage your blood glucose when you have pre-diabetes, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from ever developing. Together with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the American Diabetes Association published a Position Statement on "The Prevention or Delay of Type 2 Diabetes" to help guide health care professionals in treating their patients with pre-diabetes.
There is a lot you can do yourself to know your risks for pre-diabetes and to take action to prevent diabetes if you have, or are at risk for, pre-diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has a wealth of resources for people with diabetes. People with pre-diabetes can expect to benefit from much of the same advice for good nutrition and physical activity. The links on this page are cornerstones of successful management of pre-diabetes.

How to Tell if You Have Pre-Diabetes:

While diabetes and pre-diabetes occur in people of all ages and races, some groups have a higher risk for developing the disease than others. Diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population. This means they are also at increased risk for developing pre-diabetes.

There are two different tests your doctor can use to determine whether you have pre-diabetes: the fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) or the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The blood glucose levels measured after these tests determine whether you have a normal metabolism, or whether you have pre-diabetes or diabetes. If your blood glucose level is abnormal following the FPG, you have impaired fasting glucose (IFG); if your blood glucose level is abnormal following the OGTT, you have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).

FPG

OGTT

The American Diabetes Association Risk Test for Diabetes can help you determine if you are at increased risk for diabetes or pre-diabetes. A high score may indicate that you have pre-diabetes or at risk for pre-diabetes. Take the test and find out for sure.

How to Prevent Pre-Diabetes:

Pre-diabetes is a serious medical condition that can be treated. The good news is that the recently completed Diabetes Prevention Program study conclusively showed that people with pre-diabetes can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes by making changes in their diet and increasing their level of physical activity. They may even be able to return their blood glucose levels to the normal range.

While the DPP also showed that some medications may delay the development of diabetes, diet and exercise worked better. Just 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity, coupled with a 5-10% reduction in body weight, produced a 58% reduction in diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association is developing materials that will help people understand their risks for pre-diabetes and what they can do to halt the progression to diabetes and even to, "turn back the clock" In the meantime, ADA has a wealth of resources for people with diabetes or at risk for diabetes that can be of use to people interested in pre-diabetes..

Nutrition

Making Healthy Food Choices
ADA's statement for health professionals on nutrition

The American Diabetes Association bookstore has award-winning books on nutrition, recipes, weight loss, meal planning and more.

Exercise

Tips on how to include a healthy amount of physical activity into your daily routine:

Exercise and Diabetes

ADA's statement for health professionals on exercise

You can get fit, reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes, and support the American Diabetes Association by participating in America's Walk for Diabetes.

Tools

Small Steps. Big Rewards. Prevent type 2 diabetes.
The National Diabetes Education Program has designed a national awareness campaign to target people at risk for type 2 diabetes. The campaign will create awareness that type 2 diabetes can be prevented through modest lifestyle changes and losing about 5 to 7 percent of body weight.

Can Diabetes Be Controlled?

In the early stages, you may be able to control your diabetes without medication, by looking after yourself carefully. But if you are taking medication, taking care of yourself is just as important. It will help the medication work much better.

Things you can do to control your diabetes include:

Control your weight. For many people with diabetes, reducing weight is the single most important thing they can do.

• Don't try quick weight loss diets. They won't work for long, and can be dangerous.
• Do follow your diabetes team's advice, and lose weight slowly and steadily.
• Don't get discouraged. Losing as little as 10 to 15 pounds may make a big difference in how you feel and how well your diabetes is controlled.

Eat on time, and eat well. Keep track of what you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat. Small, regular meals work best for most people who have diabetes.

Exercise three to four times a week. Exercise does three good things.

• It helps control weight
• It helps the cells use blood sugar
• It helps prevent heart disease

Nice To Know: Many people who have diabetes find that walking is the best exercise. Walking is easy, inexpensive, and enjoyable. Walking tips: Try to walk at least three times a week. Start with 10-minute walks then build up to 30 or 40 minutes. Wear comfortable shoes and socks. Breathe deeply as you walk. If you feel short of breath or can't catch your breath, slow down.

Need To Know: If you have high blood pressure, are seriously overweight, or have heart disease, talk to your diabetes treatment team before you start exercising. Be sure to take special care of your feet. Wear comfortable shoes that don't give you blisters, and check your feet for blisters, cuts or sores after every exercise session.

Who Gets Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes - the type that mostly affects adults - affects all types of people. However, there are factors that can put you at higher risk for developing the condition:

• Being overweight (body mass index of 25+)
• Carrying fat around the waist and stomach
• Being sedentary
• Being more than 45 years old (being over 65 increases risk even further)
• Having a family history of type 2 diabetes
• Having had gestational diabetes (a mild glucose abnormality first noted in pregnancy which can cause difficulties with delivery and in the newborn after birth) or having a baby that weighed 9 lbs or more
• Being of African-American, Latino, Asian-American, or Native American descent
• Having a low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level (less than 35)
• Having a high triglyceride level (250 or above)
• Having high blood pressure (140/90 mm/Hg or higher)

Type 2 diabetes used to be quite rare before middle age, but now affects more and more young people who are overweight. Being overweight, even as a child or teenager, is a significant risk factor for developing diabetes as an adult.

About Impaired Glucose Tolerance:

A condition called impaired glucose tolerance, a state between "normal" and "diabetes," could indicate that a person may get diabetes later. Impaired glucose tolerance also may put people at higher risk for heart disease and stroke.

Impaired glucose tolerance shows up on tests as a slightly elevated blood sugar level that is not high enough to be called diabetes. A doctor checks for this condition using an oral glucose tolerance test.

It is estimated that 20 million people in the U.S. have impaired glucose tolerance, including many children. Finding out about impaired glucose tolerance early might allow a person to make healthy lifestyle changes that will help them avoid getting diabetes or having other health problems later in life.

Another situation that puts a person at increased risk for getting diabetes later and for heart disease and stroke is impaired fasting glucose. In this condition, the fasting glucose level is higher than normal but less than necessary to diagnose diabetes.

Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes.

Some diabetes symptoms include:

Diabetes Problem SolverFurther Reading . . .
Pinpoint the danger signs of diabetes-related trouble in 60 seconds or less with The Diabetes Problem Solver. Also, get symptoms, risks, course of action, treatment, and prevention information on a wide array of conditions. Check out more books on healthy living here.

* Frequent urination
* Excessive thirst
* Extreme hunger
* Unusual weight loss
* Increased fatigue
* Irritability
* Blurry vision

How Is Diabetes Diagnosed?

Diabetes is often diagnosed by measuring fasting glucose levels. If that value is lower than the value necessary to diagnose diabetes but your doctor suspects you still may have diabetes, an oral glucose tolerance test may be done. This is a special test that shows how well the body uses glucose.

Talk to your doctor about how often you should be tested. How frequently you are tested for diabetes depends on your age and risk factors for the condition.

• If you are 45 years old or older, you need to get tested for diabetes, even if you do not have any risk factors.
• If you are younger than 45 and have one or more risk factors, you should also get tested.
• After the age of 45, people should be tested for diabetes every three years.

How-To Information: Oral Glucose Tolerance Test If you are scheduled for an oral glucose tolerance test, your doctor or nurse will most likely give you written instructions for what to do before and after the test, and what to expect during the test. The instructions may include the following: For three days before the test, eat an unrestricted diet high in carbohydrates and limit alcoholic beverages. Fast for 12 hours before the test. The test will last slightly more than two hours. How the test works: You will be given a liquid to drink, which contains glucose. The liquid will cause your blood glucose level to rise. Samples of blood and urine will be taken before you drink the glucose solution and two hours later to measure glucose levels. During the oral glucose tolerance test, some people feel: Nausea Stomach discomfort Headache These side effects usually go away quickly.

What are the types of diabetes?

Most important to managing the disease is to know as much about it as you can. The first thing to know is what kind of diabetes you have. There are three types:

Type 1 Diabetes:

This type of diabetes used to be called 'juvenile diabetes' or 'insulin-dependent diabetes.' Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of all diagnosed diabetes, so it's less common than type 2. It's an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system (the body's system for fighting infection) has gone haywire and is destroying the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin.

Without insulin, your body can't use sugar and fat broken down from the food you eat. When sugar can't get into your cells, your blood sugar rises and it's this high blood sugar level that damages your body. A person with type 1 diabetes can't make insulin. If you have this disease, you have to take insulin in order to live. Type 1 diabetes develops most often in children or young adults but can occur at any age. It can come on suddenly, often after an illness. There is no cure for type 1 diabetes, but because of new knowledge about the disease and new medical advances, good self-care is now possible. A person with diabetes can live a healthy life and avoid or experience few complications from the disease. Diabetes of any kind is a disorder that prevents the body from using food properly. Normally, the body gets its major source of energy from glucose, a simple sugar that comes from foods high in simple carbohydrates (e.g., table sugar or other sweeteners such as honey, molasses, jams, and jellies, soft drinks, and cookies), or from the breakdown of complex carbohydrates such as starches (e.g., bread, potatoes, and pasta). After sugars and starches are digested in the stomach, they enter the blood stream in the form of glucose* (figure 1). The glucose in the blood stream becomes a potential source of energy for the entire body, similar to the way in which gasoline in a service station pump is a potential source of energy for your car. But, just as someone must pump the gas into the car, the body requires some assistance to get glucose from the blood stream to the muscles and other tissues of the body. In the body, that assistance comes from a hormone called insulin. Insulin is manufactured by the pancreas, a gland that lies behind the stomach. Without insulin, glucose cannot get into the cells of the body where it is used as fuel. Instead, glucose accumulates in the blood to high levels and is excreted or spilled into the urine through the kidneys.

Characteristics of type 1 diabetes:

• Most common in children
• Quick onset with thirst, frequent urination, weight loss developing and worsening over days to weeks
• Usually no known family history
• No major risk factors; risk is increased if there is a strong family history
• Insulin shots required to control diabetes
• Blood glucose levels are sensitive to small changes in diet, exercise, and insulin dose

Type 2 Diabetes:

Type 2 diabetes used to be called 'non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus' or adult-onset diabetes. It differs from type 1 diabetes in that the body makes some insulin, but not enough; also, the body can't use the insulin efficiently.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes. It usually develops after the age of 40. However, in the late 1990's, its incidence increased among young people. Experts are trying to determine why that is happening; they think it may be related to the increased incidence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles among young people in the US.

About 80 percent of those with type 2 diabetes are overweight. It is more common among people who are older, sedentary or obese, or have a family history of the disease. It may reappear in women who had gestational diabetes. It is more common among people of Asian, Hispanic, African or Native American ancestry.

Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease that can cause significant, severe complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, blindness and loss of limbs through amputation. Treatment differs at various stages of the condition. In its early stages, many people with type 2 diabetes can control their blood glucose levels by losing weight, eating properly and exercising. Many may subsequently need oral medication, and some people with type 2 diabetes may eventually need insulin shots to control their diabetes and avoid the disease's serious complications.

Even though there is no cure for diabetes, proper treatment and glucose control enable people with type 2 diabetes to live normal, productive lives.

A major advance for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes - such as family members of those with the condition - occurred recently when it was shown that diet and exercise can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. People at high risk, who already had early signs of impaired glucose tolerance, significantly reduced their risk by losing only 5-7 percent of their body weight and performing moderate physical activity for 30 minutes/day. Taking the diabetes medication metformin also reduced the risk.

Characteristics of Type 2 Diabetes:

• Most common in adults, although more younger people are developing this type
• Usually slow onset with thirst, frequent urination, weight loss developing over weeks to months
• Usually runs in families
• Most people who get this type are overweight or obese
• Treatment usually begins with diet and exercise, progressing to use of oral medications and later to insulin as the disease advances
• Blood glucose levels may improve with weight loss, change in diet and increased exercise
• May be prevented or delayed in high-risk individuals by moderate weight loss and exercise

Gestational Diabetes:

Some women, about 3 to 5 percent of all pregnant women, get this form of diabetes during pregnancy. It usually ends when the baby is born, but some women who have gestational diabetes go on to develop diabetes when they get older. Some studies have reported that almost 40 percent of women who have gestational diabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes. So, if you have had gestational diabetes, you need to see your doctor every year and ask to be screened for type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes usually doesn't cause birth defects, but one of the problems is the possibility of having a baby that is considerably larger than normal. There is also the risk that the baby might have low blood sugar right after it's born.

Gestational diabetes happens when the body doesn't make enough insulin and resists the action of insulin because of hormones. The condition develops about midway through the pregnancy. Although most women with this condition are treated with diet, some women may need insulin. The problem can't be treated with pills because the medication can harm the baby.

How many diabetics are there?

According to the WHO estimate for 2000, the number of diabetics in the world stands at 177 million people. The WHO predicts this will rise to over 300 million by 2025, roughly 9% of the global population.

There are over 2 million diabetic people in the UK according to the IDF, with over 750,000 people undiagnosed.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism—the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body.

After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.

When we eat, the pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into our cells. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body in the urine. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose.