About Diabetes

Symptoms | Risk Factors | Diagnosis | Treatment

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food individuals eat converts to glucose, or sugar, for their bodies to use as energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get from our blood stream into the cells of our bodies. Being diagnosed with diabetes means an individual’s body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugar to build up in the blood. This not only harms the cells that need the glucose for fuel, but also harms certain organs and tissues exposed to the high glucose levels in the bloodstream.

There are three main types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes — the body does not make sufficient amounts of insulin or any insulin at all. Insulin helps the body use glucose from the food we eat to provide fuel for our body. People with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day, sometimes numerous times throughout the day in order to survive. Type 1 diabetes is generally diagnosed in children or young adults and used to be called juvenile-onset diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes — the body does not make sufficient amounts of insulin or the body does not respond appropriately to the insulin that is made. People with Type 2 diabetes often control their condition through diet, weight loss, use of oral agents or insulin depending on their doctor’s plan of care and the stage of their disease. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes and accounts for about 90-95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes — is a type of diabetes that only pregnant women get. If not treated, it can cause problems for mothers and babies. Gestational diabetes develops in 2-5 percent of all pregnancies but usually disappears when a pregnancy is over. However, those diagnosed with gestational diabetes are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Other specific types of diabetes resulting from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, transplants, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses may account for 1-2 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

Symptoms

Symptoms of diabetes may include SOME or NONE of the following:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Unexplained weight loss
• Extreme hunger
• Sudden vision changes
• Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
• Feeling very tired much of the time
• Very dry skin
• Sores that are slow to heal
• More infections than usual

Risk Factors

Type 1

Type 1 Diabetes is believed to be an autoimmune disease. The body's immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Risk factors include:

• Environmental factors, such as viral infections
• Race: Most common in white persons of Northern European descent, followed by African Americans and Hispanic Americans; relatively rare in those of Asian descent
• Gender: More common in men than in women.

Type 2

Type 2 diabetes tends to run in families. Several genes are being studied that may be related to the cause of Type 2 diabetes. Risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes include the following:

• High blood pressure
• High blood triglyceride (fat) levels
• Gestational diabetes or giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
• High-fat diet
• High alcohol intake
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Obesity or being overweight
• Ethnicity: African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Japanese Americans
• Aging

Diagnosis

The fasting blood glucose test is the preferred test for diagnosing diabetes in children and non-pregnant adults. It is most reliable when done in the morning. However, a diagnosis of diabetes can be made based on any of the following test results, confirmed by retesting on a different day:

• Fasting blood glucose test: A blood glucose level of 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or more after an 8-hour fast
• Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): A blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or more 2 hours after drinking a beverage containing 75 grams of glucose dissolved in water
• A random (taken at any time of day) blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or more, along with the presence of diabetes symptoms

Other lab tests available for confirmed diagnosis of diabetes are:

• Finger stick blood glucose: Involves sticking your finger for a blood sample
• Glycosylated hemoglobin or hemoglobin A1c: Measures how high your blood sugar level has been over about the last 120 days — the lifespan of a red blood cell

Treatment

Managing diabetes is more than keeping blood glucose levels under control – it is also important to manage blood pressure and cholesterol levels through healthy eating, physical activity, and use of medications (if needed). Adults with diabetes are at high risk for cardiovascular disease. In fact, at least 65 percent of those with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.

Blood glucose levels must be closely monitored through frequent blood glucose checking. People with diabetes also monitor blood glucose levels several times a year with a laboratory test called the A1C. Results of the A1C test reflect average blood glucose over a two to three month period.

Healthy eating, physical activity, and blood glucose testing are the basic management tools for diabetes. In addition, many people with Type 2 diabetes require oral medication, insulin, or both to control their blood glucose levels.