Diabetes Awareness Day is on November 14

[Tobra]

8 common questions about diabetes

8 common diabetes questions answered - CNN.com

Health.com -- Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes; another 57 million have prediabetes, a precursor to the disease. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that if the diabetes epidemic continues, one in three Americans will develop it in his or her lifetime.

That's especially bad news for women, because the disease can affect both mother and child during pregnancy, and women with diabetes are more likely to have a heart attack (and at a younger age) than women without diabetes. Along with the worries about diabetes, there's a lot of misinformation (like skinny girls can't get the disease, or eating too much candy causes it), which is why we've gathered expert answers to the most common questions.

What's the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. It's most often diagnosed in patients under 18, but it can strike at any age. Type 1 diabetics need insulin to manage the disease.

In type 2 diabetes, the body loses its sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that helps muscles absorb and use blood sugar. Traditionally, type 2 diabetes was diagnosed in older people. But with the rise in obesity, it's now being diagnosed at younger ages, sometimes even in children. Some traditionally thin populations are also being diagnosed with the disease as well. Type 2 is generally treated with changes to diet and exercise habits, as well as oral medication or insulin.

How will I know if I have diabetes?

Diabetes may cause no symptoms at all, but some signs include frequent thirst and hunger, having to urinate more than usual, losing weight without trying to, fatigue, and crankiness. If you're concerned, get your blood-glucose level checked, says Deborah Fillman, a registered dietitian and the incoming president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators. A fasting blood-sugar test measures the amount of sugar in your blood after not eating for at least eight hours. Normal is 99 mg/dL or below. Prediabetes is 100 to 125, and diabetes is 126 and above.

My father has diabetes. Does that raise my risk?

Yes. Having a family member with diabetes raises your risk of developing type 1 by about 5 percent and type 2 diabetes by more than 30 percent.

Health.com: How your family may sabotage your efforts to manage diabetes

I've read that belly fat is a diabetes risk factor. Should I worry about my muffin top?

Yes. Excess fat around your midsection is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. (Type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with obesity). In particular, the visceral fat wrapped around your internal organs can pose a problem, and it increases insulin resistance (the problem in type 2 diabetes) more so than fat in other parts of your body.

Health.com: Why it pays to lose weight if you have type 2 diabetes

Being obese or overweight in general can hike your risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 90 times. Why? Overweight bodies may just be too big for their pancreases to keep up, says researcher Dr. John Buse, director of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Diabetes Care Center.

Can diet or exercise really prevent diabetes?

Yes, exercising and eating a healthy diet helps you keep off excess weight, which can prevent or at least delay diabetes. If you already have diabetes, doing aerobic exercise and resistance training helps by encouraging the muscles to take up more blood sugar.

Health.com: Can I drink alcohol with diabetes?

Over the short term, it may even reduce the amount of blood-sugar-lowering medication you need to take. Long term, exercise helps lower the risk of complications like blindness and nerve and kidney damage by helping you better manage blood-sugar levels. On the diet front, a recent study found that type 2 diabetics who ate a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fish, fruits, nuts, and olive oil, lost more weight and went longer without blood-sugar-lowering medication than those on a low-fat diet.


Could my sweet tooth lead to diabetes?

One of the oldest myths about diabetes is that sugar -- or a sweet tooth -- causes the disease. Says Riva Greenberg, a patient advocate and the author of 50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life, "A lot of people still think you get diabetes from eating too much candy."

Not true. Nor is it necessary for diabetics to avoid all sugar. Eating a well-balanced diet rich in whole grains, protein, veggies, and fruit -- and low in fat, cholesterol, and simple sugars (which cause blood sugar to spike) -- is a healthy plan for everybody.

I'm skinny, so I can't get diabetes, right?

Being overweight is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but 20 percent of people who get it are slim. "The number of type 2 diabetics is growing, especially in thin Asian populations," Greenberg says. Asian populations have higher concentrations of visceral fat, which may be a contributing factor, Buse explains.

If I had gestational diabetes that went away, should I worry?

Unfortunately, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes increases substantially -- between 20 percent and 50 percent. (Gestational diabetes occurs when hormones that help a baby's placenta develop interfere with the mother's insulin, resulting in higher blood sugars. It occurs in about 4 percent of U.S. pregnancies each year.) Your personal odds depend upon other factors like ethnicity, genetics, and weight. Losing weight after you've had a baby can help limit your risk.

[Don Ro]

Thanks for the reminder...
I have been hounding myself to drop 40 lbs via more movement & diet.
I've got high blood pressure & numb/tingly spots on some of my fingers.
Triglycerides = 650.

[ddbach]

Yes, Please take care of yourselves now.
Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness amongst working age adults.
Treatment of diabetic eye complications can reduce your peripheral and night vision.
If you lose too much of your sight you may not be able to drive.

[cantdrv55]

I have type 2. I ck my blood sugar almost daily when i should be checking it 3X/day. My fingertips are sore. I try to ride my bike every weekend like I used to but am too busy or just don't have the energy anymore. I know what I should do to take better care of myself. I just don't do it. Walking 30 mins every day doesn't seem like a big deal but a couple of weeks of it gets boring.

[Joeaksa]

Am keeping an eye on my blood sugar as well. Was starting to creep up so decided to lose some weight and it did wonders. Still, its time for another 20 lbs to go.

[Z-man]

Type 1 here on an insulin pump. If you're type one and you're still on shots, you need to seriously consider switching over.

I've been on the pump for about a year and a half, and my A1C numbers have been coming down nicely. My sugars still run a bit high at times, but I'm working on it!

-Z-man.

[widebody911]

Will there be cake?

[ja78911sc]

Tobra, thanks for posting!

Three years ago my fasting BS was in the pre range at 109. I lost thirty pounds exercise daily and now my numbers run in the high 80's to low 90's.

My father was a diabetic and seven of his eight brothers and sisters had the disease.

I am currently 44 and consider this a daily fight due to my family history.

My father lost a leg. He also had two siblings lose legs as well.

I have several friends in their forties and early fifties testing in the pre diabetic range. The sad part is the doc's are not spending time with these patients because pre diabetes is not considered a disease. My doc said nothing and he was aware of my family history.

I know most likely I will get this disease but I will not go down without a fight. My goal is to delay it and if I am lucky, avoid it.

[wolf76]

Hello all. Type 1 for 23 years now. Zman- I hear you about the pump. I switched over 2 years ago to the Accucheck Spirit and it has changed my life for the better. Try and exercise 3 times a week but between work and home it can be tough.


Chris

[ddbach]

Happy to see that Laneco's dad is doing well.

Since today is Diabetes Awareness Day I'll add a story of a young man I know.

He's 23 now and was diagnosed with diabetes type I the end of August before his freshman year of college w/ a hemoglobin a1c >15 (nl <6.0) by mid December that year he was having a lot of trouble seeing. He had an almost completely white lens in one eye and about half as bad in the other. He had surgery in the bad eye over Christmas with plans to try to wait for spring break for the other. He only made it through 2 weeks back at school before he took a few days off to come home and have the other one done. He's doing great both with his vision and his diabetes control. Teaching in the carribean this year.

Cautionary tale - the couple in Wisconsin this past year who tried to pray their daughter well without any evaluation. The 11 yo daughter died from untreated diabetes. Should never have happened.

[scottmandue]

Type 2 here....

Sigh, I have been slipping... need to drop a few pounds and get to the doc for a checkup.

Procrastinating now because the holidays are coming up bad I know.

Thanks for the reminder.

[Tobra]

Step away from the egg nog, and nobody gets hurt.

Being diabetic is like driving an old car, it just requires a bit more care to keep things going. Difference being you can always go get another old car. If you blow it with diabetes, you lose an eye or a limb, or maybe worse.

[scottmandue]

Oh no you didn't just say eggnog!!!!

I did just go get my eyes checked and the Doc says they are great... well for a 52 year old fart.

Got to get back on lossing weight... the part about the spare tire fat around the middle is scary... I went from a 38 to 36 to 34 to 32... I'm back up to a 34 waist

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by widebody911

Will there be cake?

Full of used needles.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

Walking 30 mins every day doesn't seem like a big deal but a couple of weeks of it gets boring.

Get a dog. Seriously!

George

[aigel]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

Triglycerides = 650.

Man, that's off the scale! You should get help by a nutritionist / trainer!

Best,

George

[Z-man]

Man, what a lousy way to spend Diabetes Awareness day -- I woke up with a sky-high sugar with no apparent explanation - spent most of the day trying to bring it down - finally realized that my infusion set wasn't allowing the insulin to absorb into my body.

So, after an infusion set change, I'm hoping to get back to normal by the morning.

No cake for me! (But the grilled gear half with gorganzola cheese and walnuts my wife prepared was a real treat!)

-Z-man.

[GDSOB]

One of our 3 year old girls was diagnosed with Type I this week.

We had her fasting glucose tested last spring with normal levels. Lately, she has been drinking and urinating excessively. Had her tested again on Monday with glucose at 900! Really had no other symptoms other than being whiny.

Spent a couple days at Cincinnati Children's to get her stabilized and back home now. We definitely have a different daily routine now.