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Diabetes - Health Hot Line - Brief Article
Ebony, July, 2002
MORE people die from complications of diabetes each year than from AIDS and breast cancer combined. Since 1990, there has been a mind-boggling 49 percent increase in the number of people with diabetes. Last year alone, more than 800,000 new cases of diabetes were diagnosed, more than in any other 12-month period. The disease has become the leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness and amputations, costing the United States more than $100 billion each year.
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For Blacks, the picture is even bleaker. More than 2 million African-Americans--1 in 10--have diabetes, and of those affected, more are likely to develop complications and experience greater disability from those complications than any other race. As a result, the death rate for Blacks with diabetes is 27 percent higher than it is for Whites. And while stem cell advances offer promise down the road, experts don't expect a cure in the near future.
Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produce or respond to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose (blood sugar) to enter the cells of the body and generate the body's energy. There are two major types of diabetes: insulin-dependent or type 1 diabetes, and non-insulin-dependent or type 2 diabetes. Type 2 is more prevalent in African-Americans and adults over 45, accounting for up to 95 percent of cases. Type 1 diabetes usually, but not always, affects children and young adults.
Warning signs of diabetes include: excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, irritability, unexplained weight loss, tingling in fingers or roes, nausea, fatigue and vomiting. The disease can be detected through a routine blood test. If treated properly, type 2 diabetes sometimes can be completely controlled with changes in diet and exercise. Even if medication is needed, complications almost always can be avoided or minimized.
Increasingly, researchers are concluding that control over diabetes starts with controlling weight gain. Recent evidence from several studies indicates that obesity and weight gain are associated with an increased risk of diabetes. In a recent clinical trial, there was a reported 58 percent reduction in incidence of diabetes after a modest (4.7 percent) weight reduction.
Exercise has been shown to lower blood glucose levels, improve the body's ability to use insulin, reduce blood pressure, and raise the "good" cholesterol level. It is recommended that a person with diabetes exercise for about 30 minutes after eating instead of on an empty stomach. It is also advised that diabetics monitor blood glucose levels before and after exercise to understand how levels change with physical activity. But with all of the benefits of exercise, it is recommended that a person with diabetes consult with a physician first.
Dietary guidelines for those with diabetes have also undergone dramatic changes recently. No longer are starchy foods off-limits. No longer are sweets a no-no. While sugar used to have a bad name in the diabetes world, and at one point was even blamed for causing diabetes, it no longer is considered any worse than milk and bread. There are no such things as good foods and bad foods. In fact, the idea that a diabetic can't eat certain foods is completely outdated Nutritionists say people with diabetes can enjoy their favorite foods, as long as it is done in moderation. Doctors are now encouraging their patients with diabetes to count carbohydrates (sugar is a carbohydrate), and make sure that whatever they eat stays within the carbohydrate limits set by their medical team.
Healthy eating can also result in a healthy heart, which is very important in light of new research that has found a direct link between diabetes and an increased chance of heart attack and stroke. Put simply: If you have diabetes you are at higher risk for coronary disease than someone without diabetes. In fact, men with diabetes are two to three times more likely (four to six times more likely for women) to develop cardiovascular disease than a person without diabetes. And smoking doubles those already staggering multiples.
No doubt about it, diabetes is a killer. But it doesn't have to be. By taking control of the high-risk factors that advance the debilitating disease, a person can keep complications a+ a minimum and live a long, healthy life.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group
