Understanding diabetes: types, risks and strategies for prevention & management
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Diabetes is a long-term health condition that affects how the body turns food into energy. November is National Diabetes Awareness month and a good time to learn about diabetes. Let’s talk about the different types, who is at risk to get diabetes, and how to help prevent and manage diabetes.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is when the sugar in your blood is too high. Insulin is a hormone that moves sugar from your blood to your cells for energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body does not make enough insulin or does not use the insulin properly.
Diabetes can lead to serious health problems, including kidney disease, nerve damage, eye issues, and heart disease. While there’s no cure for diabetes, it can be effectively managed through medication, healthy eating, and staying active.
Types of diabetes
There are several types of diabetes, each with different causes and treatments:
- Type 1 Diabetes: This type happens when your body doesn’t make enough insulin. About 5 to 10% of people with diabetes have type 1. You can’t prevent it, but you can manage type 1 diabetes with insulin therapy and a healthy lifestyle. Taking insulin or other diabetes medicines is used for treating type 1 diabetes. You may be prescribed insulin to take several times a day, including when you eat and drink, to control your blood glucose level.
- Type 2 Diabetes: This is the most common type, affecting 90 to 95% of people with diabetes. It happens when your body doesn’t use insulin effectively. Type 2 diabetes can often be prevented or delayed by losing weight, being active, and eating a healthy, balanced diet. Treatment may include diabetes medicines as well. These medicines may be diabetes pills or medicines you inject, such as insulin.
- Gestational Diabetes: This type occurs during pregnancy in a woman without a previous diagnosis of diabetes, and usually resolves after childbirth. However, it increases the risk of both the mother developing type 2 diabetes and the child facing obesity and diabetes later in life. 7 Treatment for gestational diabetes includes a healthy eating plan and doing a moderate-intensity physical activity such as brisk walking. If healthy eating and being active aren’t enough to manage your blood sugar, your doctor may prescribe insulin, metformin, or other medication.
- Prediabetes: Prediabetes is when your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough for a type 2 diagnosis. Prediabetes affects more than 96 million adults in the U.S., and 80% don’t know they have it. With healthy lifestyle changes, diabetes can often be prevented or delayed.
Who’s at risk for diabetes?
Certain factors increase the likelihood of developing diabetes including:
- Type 1 Diabetes: Family history, age (more common in children, teens, and young adults), and race (higher risk in whites in the U.S.).
- Type 2 Diabetes: Risk factors include being overweight, age 45 or older, not being active, family history, and having diabetes during pregnancy, and being from certain backgrounds (like African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaskan Native. Some Pacific Islander people and Asian American people also have a higher risk.
- Gestational Diabetes: Risk is higher for women over 25, those who have had it before, are overweight, or have a hormone disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
- Prediabetes: Similar risk factors to type 2, such as being overweight, not being active, and having a family history of diabetes.
Managing diabetes costs
Diabetes can be costly. In 2022, the U.S. spent $413 billion on diabetes. People with diabetes have more than double the medical expenses compared to people without the disease. Preventing diabetes through healthy changes can help lower these costs.
Preventing and Managing Diabetes
While you can’t prevent type 1 diabetes, you may be able to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes by:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Being active
- Eating healthy food
- Making healthy choices every day can help manage diabetes and lower the risk of complications.
Staying informed about diabetes risk factors is essential for early detection and prevention. If you have concerns or questions, talk to your health care provider for guidance and support.
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Disclaimer
The information featured in this site is general in nature. The site provides health information designed to complement your personal health management. It does not provide medical advice or health services and is not meant to replace professional advice or imply coverage of specific clinical services or products. The inclusion of links to other web sites does not imply any endorsement of the material on such websites. Consult your doctor prior to beginning an exercise program or making changes to your lifestyle or health care routine.
Sources:
Diabetes | NIDDK (nih.gov)3 Breast Cancer Risk Factors | CDC
Insulin, medicine and other diabetes treatments | NIH (niddk.nit.gov)
Insulin, Medicines, & Other Diabetes Treatments
Prediabetes – Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes | CDC⁹ Diabetes Risk Factors | CDC
About Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes | National Diabetes Prevention Program | Diabetes | CDC
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