If current trends continue, one in three Americans will have diabetes by 2050. While this prediction is surprising, it doesn’t necessarily have to come true.
Approximately 30 million adults and children in the United States have diabetes, and the disease has several forms. Type 1 diabetes, which affects about 5% of the U.S. population, is an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Many people think that this type of diabetes is only diagnosed in children and teenagers, but more than half of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are over the age of 30.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas produces insulin, but the body does not use it properly. Previously, this type of diabetes usually occurred only in adults. However, many young people are now overweight and have problems with obesity, and this type of diabetes is becoming more common among children and adolescents.
Types of diabetes
In each type of diabetes, the main health problem is elevated blood sugar levels. These types include:
- Type 1 diabetes. This form must always be controlled with insulin.
- Type 2 diabetes. Although diet, exercise, and oral medications may be able to control the disease, ultimately these people will need insulin to treat their symptoms.
- gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. It affects nearly 1 in 10 pregnancies. A person who has gestational diabetes during pregnancy has a much higher risk of developing her type 2 diabetes during her lifetime.
Diabetes signs and symptoms
Signs and symptoms of diabetes include:
- excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
- Weight loss
If diabetes is left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to serious long-term complications, including:
- eye diseases and blindness
- Increased risk of heart disease and stroke
- kidney disease
- neurological disease
- Peripheral vascular disease and amputation
diabetes risk factors
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes, the most common disease, include:
- Being overweight or obese.
- Have a first-degree relative with diabetes.
- Have a history of gestational diabetes or have delivered a baby over 9 pounds.
- High blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.
- Have prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, or polycystic ovary syndrome.
- Lack of exercise.
Certain ethnic groups are also at increased risk, including Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders.
prediabetes
86 million Americans have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels have just begun to rise but have not yet reached the level of diabetes. However, being prediabetic does not require him to have type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Prevention Program research has shown that lifestyle interventions such as diet, exercise, and weight loss can cut your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than half.
A balanced diet, exercise, and medications can help control diabetes and prevent long-term complications. However, this requires commitment on your part. A plan for managing diabetes must be individualized. With the right medical team and strong personal support system, people with diabetes can live long, healthy lives without complications.
Kristy Stemsrud is a physician assistant and certified diabetes educator in Mankato, Minnesota.
