To continue with my article from last week, November Diabetes Awareness Month part-1, one in five of the people in the United States who has diabetes doesn’t even know they have it? The American Diabetes Association (ADA) states, that’s 7.3 million people, out of a total 34.2 million, who aren’t aware they are living with the disease and all the health risks that poorly managed blood sugar can severely compromise their health. This is the reason why an awareness month is needed for diabetes.
This health condition affects everyone, but it extremely affects Blacks and People of Color communities the most. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the frequency of diabetes diagnoses is 14.7 percent among American Indians/Alaska Natives, nearly double that of white people (7.5 percent) in the United States. Diabetes has also been diagnosed in 12.5 percent of Hispanic people, 11.7 percent of non-Hispanic Black people, and 9.2 percent of non-Hispanic Asian people.
Understanding Diabetes:
Diabetes puts people at risk for nerve damage, cardiovascular disease, foot and limb injuries, vision problems, and other complications that arise from having uncontrolled blood sugar, as the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus guide cautions. Additionally, diabetes raises a person’s risk of developing serious COVID-19, per the CDC. That’s why understanding diabetes and how to manage it is more important than ever.
The Major Types of Diabetes Are:
· Type 1 Diabetes - An autoimmune disorder that typically begins before adulthood, in which the immune system destroys cells within the body that make insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar
· Type 2 Diabetes - A disease that usually begins in middle age, which results when the body isn’t able to use insulin properly to regulate blood sugar
· Gestational Diabetes - A condition during pregnancy in which the body doesn’t use insulin properly, similar to type 2 diabetes
Which Type of Diabetes Is Most Common:
Up to 95 percent of cases are type 2 diabetes, and most of the rest are type 1 diabetes.
Diagnosing Diabetes:
Even more important than knowing the statistics about diabetes is understanding the numbers used in its diagnosis and how they apply to you. According to the Cleveland Clinic, you could be diagnosed with a version of the disease if:
1. Your blood glucose after fasting (and before a meal) tests at 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher.
2. Your random blood glucose is 200 mg/dl or higher.
3. You receive a result of 6.5 or higher on the hemoglobin A1C test, which shows how much glucose has attached to the hemoglobin in your red blood cells, on average, over the past three months.
4. Or you may have prediabetes if your fasting blood glucose is 100 to 125 mg/dL; your random glucose is 140 to 199 mg/dL; or your A1C is in the range of 5.7 to 6.4, notes the Cleveland Clinic.
The CDC estimates that in the United States 88 million people have prediabetes, and 84 percent don’t know they have it.
If you haven’t done so already, always schedule a yearly well visit with your doctor, eat healthy, walk at least 3 or 4 times a week, drink plenty of water, and limit soft drinks and foods with added sugar.
Source of Information: Various Google Searches
Until Next Time, Stay Safe and Well!