All About Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus was discovered 2,000 years ago by the Greeks, who observed that ants were attracted to the urine of diabetics. For centuries, doctors would taste the patient's urine for sweetness to detect the disease.
According to the American Diabetes Association, the disease is caused by the body's inability to produce enough insulin or to use it effectively. Insulin, a hormone released by the pancreas, helps keep your body sugar, or glucose, at normal, healthy levels. Your glucose levels change throughout the day, depending on what and when you've eaten and whether you've exercised.
Types of Diabetes
There are two major types of diabetes. Type 1, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, is caused when your body produces little or no insulin. It is far less common than Type 2 diabetes, affecting just 5 percent of people with diabetes. Type 1 diabetes usually develops early in life, and is controlled by daily injections of insulin.
Type 2 (or non-insulin-dependent) diabetes affects 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes. This type of diabetes usually develops later in life and often goes undiagnosed until symptoms become too troublesome to ignore, according to the American Diabetes Association. In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas may produce insulin, but the body becomes resistant to it.
Type 2 diabetes most often occurs in adulthood. Because of America's high-fat, high-sugar diet and inactive lifestyle, it is now home to 13 percent of the world's diabetics, even though it only has 4.6 percent of the world's population. Studies also show that at least 80 percent of diabetics are obese.
Other risk factors for diabetes include having a parent or sibling with the disease; being African American, Asian American, Hispanic, or Pacific Islander; having higher than normal blood glucose levels; and having high blood pressure or cholesterol levels.
While you can't change your heritage, lifestyle factors can dramatically lower your risk of diabetes. Studies show that borderline diabetics who lost 7 percent of their body weight, consumed a low-calorie, low-fat diet, and exercised moderately reduced their odds of having diabetes by 58 percent. Many Type 2 diabetics can control their condition without drugs by following a special diet and getting regular exercise.
Symptoms of Diabetes
According to the ADA, diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Some of the more common symptoms include frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, increased fatigue, irritability, and blurry vision. If you have one or more of these symptoms, see your doctor right away. You can also take an online diabetes risk test to find out if you are at risk for diabetes.
Still a Serious Disease
While diabetes is more manageable than ever, it's still a serious disease. It is the country's seventh leading cause of death, and it can raise your risk of developing heart disease and stroke, kidney failure, blindness, infections, and serious nerve damage. Fortunately, consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help you get a handle on the disease.
