JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Do you like to gamble?
Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, and a third of them do not know it. It is the seventh leading cause of death by disease in the United States. According to the American Diabetes Association, twice as many women die each year from Diabetes Mellitus than from breast cancer. One out of every three children born after 2000 in the U.S. will be directly affected by diabetes.
Diabetes has become a worldwide epidemic driven by sedentary lifestyles and increasing rates of obesity. Every five seconds a person develops diabetes, and every 10 seconds someone dies of it.
November is National Diabetes Month, providing Americans the opportunity to reflect on the danger of this growing problem and, more importantly, how to prevent it.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes refers to a group of diseases that affects the way the human body uses blood glucose, commonly called blood sugar. Glucose is vital because it is the main source of energy for the human body. Blood glucose comes from two major sources: the food we eat and our liver.
During digestion, glucose is absorbed into our bloodstream. Normally, it then enters your body's cells aided by the action of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. When you eat, your pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream and prevents it from reaching high levels. In diabetes, insulin resistance develops and often there are no early symptoms.
There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. The most common is Type 2 diabetes. Prior to developing Type 2 diabetes, people frequently have a condition known as "prediabetes." Prediabetes is defined as having blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
It is estimated that more than 41 million Americans between the ages of 40 and 74 have prediabetes. Research has shown that prediabetes may cause long-term damage to the heart and circulatory system. However, taking steps to manage your blood glucose when you have prediabetes may help prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes from developing.
Why should you care?
Diabetes can have devastating effects. Cardiovascular disease is the primary complication and cause of death for patients with Type 2 diabetes. Kidney disease caused by diabetes is the single most common cause of kidney failure. Eye diseases linked to diabetes are the leading cause of blindness in the U.S. Circulatory problems -- leading to amputation -- nerve damage and depression are also linked to Type 2 diabetes.
Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes include:
- Being overweight
- Being 45 years of age or older
- Having a parent or sibling with diabetes
- Being diagnosed with diabetes while pregnant
- Giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
- Blood pressure of 140/90 or having been told that you have high blood pressure,
- Your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is 35 milligrams per deciliter or lower
- Your triglyceride level is 250 milligrams per deciliter or higher
- Inactive or sedentary lifestyles
The ADA reports certain ethnic groups have a higher risk for Type 2 diabetes, including African-Americans, American Indians, Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans or Pacific Islanders, partly because these populations are genetically predisposed to becoming overweight and having high blood pressure - two risk factors for development of Type 2 diabetes.
How to fight diabetes
Diet and exercise are the keys to preventing or delaying diabetes. You are in control.
U.S. Air Force Hospital Langley has a Health Management Team ready to put you on the right track. Throughout November, be sure to visit the display located in the main hospital entrance recognizing National Diabetes Month. The Health and Wellness Center also hosts classes and exercise programs to promote a healthier lifestyle.
Additionally, Langley Air Force Base's Bateman library has a variety of books about diabetes, including cookbooks.
When it comes to diabetes, don't gamble with your health. Nobody wins. Take control, and help curb the diabetes epidemic in the U.S.
For more information about diabetes and ways to prevent it, visit:
- www.hnfs.com
- www.diabetes.org
- www.ndep.nih.gov
- www.mayoclinic.com