Diabetes 101
Diabetes is a disease that impacts an individual’s ability to produce or properly use insulin, the hormone that is needed to convert sugars and starches into energy.
There are nearly 24 million people in the United States, or almost 8% of the population, living with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). While that number is staggering, nearly 5.7 million, or almost 25%, of people with the disease, do not know they have it. An additional 57 million people in the U.S. have a condition called pre-diabetes.
Because people with diabetes have insulin troubles, they face numerous challenges managing the level of sugar in their blood. A typical, non-diabetic, has a blood sugar reading of between 80 and 120. However, people with diabetes have to manage against both high and low blood sugar levels.
The potential consequences of uncontrolled diabetes are very serious but can be avoided with tight control of blood sugar levels. People with the disease are at much greater risk for heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, high blood pressure and sexual dysfunction, among others. Both extreme high and low blood sugars can result in seizures, coma and even death. Amputation of an extremity (fingers, toes, feet, legs) is also a potentially sobering consequence for many diabetics.
The exact cause of diabetes is still unknown. However, researchers believe genetics play a role as well as basic health factors, such as the foods we eat, our stress levels, our weight and the amount of exercise we get.
There are several forms of the disease. Below is an overview of them.
Type 1 Diabetes
Also known as Juvenile Diabetes, approximately 5-10% of people with the disease have Type 1. It is considered an auto-immune disease and results from the body’s failure to produce insulin. The exact cause of Type 1 diabetes is unknown. However, it results from the body mistakenly attacking its own insulin-producing cells.
Because people with Type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin themselves, they rely on daily insulin injections or a device called an insulin pump, which is a small machine that allows its user to manage the continuous delivery of insulin to their body.
While many people with Type 1 diabetes are diagnosed when they are young, people of all ages have the disease.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes, is the more prevalent form of the disease. It results from the body’s resistance to insulin. In other words, the body doesn’t properly use the insulin it does produce. The exact cause of Type 2 diabetes is not known, but many researchers and medical professionals note a link between obesity and the development of the disease in many people.
The majority of people with Type 2 diabetes take medication to try and help manage their blood sugar levels. Some people with Type 2 diabetes require insulin injections. However, eating a diet low in carbohydrates and regular exercise go a long way to helping people with Type 2 manage their disease. While Type 2 diabetes is thought to generally develope later in life, people of all ages are increasingly developing the disease.
Type 1.5 of Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA)
While Type 1.5 diabetes is not as prevalent as either Type 1 or Type 2, people with it experience symptoms of both forms of the disease. People with LADA are both insulin-deficient and insulin-resistant. Again, the exact cause of this form of the disease is unknown. Treatment for people with Type 1.5 is similar to those with Type 1, although exercise and a healthy diet helps with the insulin resistance.
Pre-Diabetes
The main symptom of pre-diabetes, which affects 57 million Americans, is a slightly elevated blood-sugar level. People with pre-diabetes show signs of insulin resistance. If they do not make dramatic changes to their diet and exercise regiment, their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes greatly increases.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational Diabetes is a form of the disease that impacts impacts about 4% of pregnant women. While the disease often lasts only for the duration of the pregnancy, it does eventually turn into long-term Type 2 diabetes in some patients. Women should be tested for the disease between their 24th and 28th weeks.
