Diabetes Diabetes has become widespread. Over 100 million adults in the US have prediabetes or diabetes.
Here is some statistical information about the disease that can help you to understand the severity of the problem.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the US, there are more than 30 million people who have diabetes. This is around 10% of the total population.
The ADA has stated that average medical expenditure for people who have diabetes is 2.3 times more than it would have been if the disease did not exist. In 2017, this disease cost the US $327 billion, which includes reduced productivity and direct medical expenses.
In the US, this disease is the 7th main reason for death. It is either the underlying reason or the contributing cause of death.
The World Health Organization has provided information that diabetes was the direct reason for around 1.6 million deaths all over the world in 2016.
The impact of diabetes is widespread, and almost half a billion people’s lives are influenced by it. The reason for this alarming situation can be traced back to unhealthy food and lifestyle choices.
In America, many people do not have a balanced diet. Most are eating too much, too often, and the size of the servings are not in proportion to the needs of their bodies. In fact, people eat snacks, pizzas, and desserts at any time of the day.
There is a wide variety of processed and ready-made foods which are
tempting and widely available. But they are not healthy because they contain added sugars and trans fats.
Consuming excessive amounts of added sugars can have a negative impact on a person’s health. Too many sweetened beverages and foods in your diet can increase the risk of getting heart disease, cause blood glucose problems, and lead to obesity.
Besides erratic food habits, the lifestyle of Americans is not conducive to their overall well-being. Many people lead sedentary lives and spend long hours sitting at their desks. They don’t get enough exercise, are constantly stressed, and fail to get enough sleep. All this leads to higher levels of blood pressure and blood sugar. Moreover, constant nonstop eating leads to elevated insulin over a long duration of time.
The Role of Insulin The hormone produced by your pancreas is known as insulin.
It helps your body in using sugar or glucose derived from the carbohydrates present in the foods that you consume for energy.
Insulin also enables the body to store this glucose so that it can be used in the future.
Besides this, it assists in keeping the levels of blood sugar under control and does not allow them to become very low (hypoglycemia) or very high (hyperglycemia).
So, problems can occur when insulin is constantly elevated.
Impact of high levels of insulin
When the levels of insulin are constantly elevated, the condition is referred to as hyperinsulinemia. Excessive insulin may lead to severe health problems. It has been associated with heart disease, obesity, and cancer. High levels of insulin can make the cells of your body resistant to insulin.
Insulin resistance and increased risk of diabetes
Excessive body weight, extra fat in the abdominal area, smoking, not
getting sufficient exercise, and poor sleep can lead to the development of insulin resistance.
This medical condition occurs when excessive amounts of glucose present in the bloodstream reduce the cells’ capacity to absorb blood sugar and use it for energy. The chances of getting diabetes increase due to this because diabetes is a disease which is associated with high and low levels of blood sugar.
According to the estimation of ADA, the American Diabetes Association, almost 50% of the people who have prediabetes and insulin resistance may develop diabetes mellitus type 2 if they do not make any changes in their lifestyle.
Increased risks due to insulin resistance
Insulin resistance increases the chances of high triglycerides, being overweight, and having high levels of blood pressure. Sometimes people may develop acanthosis nigricans or dark patches on the skin.
Effects of resistance to insulin include
excessive hunger or thirst hunger is not satisfied even after eating frequent urination feeling more fatigued than usual tingling sensation in the feet or hands evidence in the blood work frequent infections
Tests for insulin resistance: It is usually detected with the help of blood tests. A1C test, fasting blood sugar test, and glucose tolerance tests are used for this purpose.
You can start getting the tests done when you are 40 years old.
The tests are as follows
A1C test
It is used to measure an individual's average blood glucose levels for the past 2-3 months.
If A1C is less than 5.7%, it is normal.
If A1C is in the range of 5.7% to 6.4%, it indicates prediabetes.
If A1C is 6.5% or more, it indicates diabetes.
However, these numbers may vary by about 0.1% - 0.2% from one lab to the other.
Fasting blood sugar test
This shows an individual's fasting blood sugar level. A person should not eat or drink for a minimum of eight hours before this test is done.
If high levels of sugar are detected, one more test is done after a few days to confirm that the first reading was correct.
If the fasting blood glucose levels are less than 100 mg/dL (milligrams/deciliter), it is normal.
If the levels are in the range of 100 mg/dL - 125 mg/dL, this indicates prediabetes.
If the levels are 126mg/dL or more, this indicates diabetes.
These numbers may vary by 3mg/dL from one lab to another.
Test for glucose tolerance
In this test, the blood sugar level of the individual is determined before the test begins. Then the person is given a sugary drink. After two hours, the person's blood sugar level is examined again.
If the level is below 140mg/dL, it is normal.
If it is in the range of 140mg/dL to 199mg/dL, it indicates prediabetes.
If the blood glucose level is 200mg/dL or more than that it indicates diabetes.
Blood tests
Random blood tests are handy when a person experiences significant symptoms of diabetes. But the ADA does not recommend these tests for determining prediabetes or routine screening for diabetes.
Ways to prevent insulin resistance include
Exercising for half an hour, five days a week Eating a healthy and balanced diet Reducing your weight
We will go over more ways to prevent and fight diabetes later in this book.
You can bring your blood sugar levels within the acceptable range by choosing a good lifestyle.
In the next chapter, we will discuss prediabetes, which is also known as glucose intolerance or borderline diabetes. This is a medical condition that occurs prior to the incidence of diabetes mellitus type 2.
You will not only come to know the risk factors, potential complications, and ways to improve and prevent it, but you will also know how to determine whether a person has prediabetes.