Diabetes
According to the
American Diabetes Association, almost 21 million Americans (7% of the U.S.
population) currently have diabetes and over 6 million of these people are
unaware that they have this condition.
According to the Center for Disease Control, Diabetes kills over
200,000 people per year, due to complications, making it the sixth leading
cause of death in the U.S.. The
statistics are frightening, but what's even more alarming is that these
numbers are rapidly increasing.
It is currently estimated that between 40 and 50 million Americans have
pre-diabetes, a condition also referred to as Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome
X. Metabolic Syndrome is
actually a group of conditions including:
The concern with
metabolic syndrome is not only that it predisposes people to diabetes, but
it is also a major risk factor for heart disease (the #1 cause of death in
the US). There are certain lab
tests that can be run to help determine the presence of metabolic syndrome
and aid in reducing the risk of developing Diabetes altogether.
The common symptoms of
Diabetes include:
Type 1 Diabetes: (also
called Juvenile Diabetes or Insulin Dependent Diabetes) the body's inability
to produce insulin (the hormone responsible for allowing sugar to pass from
the blood into the cells to be converted into energy).
Type 1 constitutes about 5
10% of all cases of Diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes: (or
Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes) the body's inability to properly use insulin
(insulin resistance) combined with insulin deficiency.
Type 2 makes up the majority of cases of Diabetes, from 90
95%. Although Type 2 Diabetes
is also called Adult Onset Diabetes, it is becoming increasingly prevalent
in children.
Gestational Diabetes:
Diabetes acquired during pregnancy.
About 4% of pregnant women are affected with Gestational Diabetes and
many progress to Type 2 Diabetes within 10 to 20 years.
All types of Diabetes
are cause for concern.
Diabetes, especially in its late stages, often results in irreparable damage
to the blood vessels, nerves, eyes (retina), kidneys and developing fetuses.
This is why it is so important to keep Diabetes, that is, the blood
sugar, under control.
Conventional
treatment:
Conventional treatment
for Diabetes (especially Type 2 Diabetes) typically includes prescription
medications to improve insulin sensitivity.
In some cases of Type 2 Diabetes, certain medications may be
necessary for a short period of time to help get blood sugar levels under
control. However, these
diabetic medications should be avoided where possible to reduce the risks to
long-term health and avoid the potential harmful side effects, like
increasing the risk of coronary heart disease and kidney and liver problems.
The good news…
Both Type 2 and
Gestational Diabetes, which makeup the vast majority of people with
Diabetes, can often be entirely managed by lifestyle changes and without the
need for any kind of Diabetic medications.
Additionally, patients with Metabolic Syndrome (those prone to
develop Type 2 Diabetes) would more likely never develop Type 2 Diabetes
simply by making changes to their diets, activity levels and stress
management.
Education is the key
to controlling and often completely avoiding Diabetes.
Even the number of Type 1 Diabetics, which once acquired requires a
lifetime of insulin injections, could be better managed reducing the amount
of needed insulin. Diabetes
prevention ideally starts early in life, especially for those people
genetically predisposed. For
those people taking prescription medications for their Diabetes, it is often
possible to reduce and even eliminate the need for these medications through
proper nutrition, exercise and other natural alternatives.