River’s Edge Hospital: With diabetes, early detection can reduce risk – Southernminn.com

The number of people diagnosed with diabetes has been continually increasing over the years and is now estimated at over 34 million Americans, which is 10.5% of the population. Of the 34 million with diabetes, over 8 million have not yet been diagnosed.

Diabetes is a group of diseases involving elevated blood sugar, but they are not all the same. Type 1 diabetes is much less common 5 to 10% of the people with diabetes have this form of the disease. In type 1 diabetes, the body doesnt produce the hormone insulin, which is needed to move sugar (glucose) from the blood stream to the cells where it can be used for energy. This form of diabetes is considered to be more of an autoimmune situation, where the body attacks itself (the beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin) in response to a virus. Insulin injections are required to keep blood glucose levels in target.

Type 2 diabetes is most common and has a stronger link to family history than the other types of diabetes, but risk is also greatly affected by lifestyle (inactivity, obesity, poor eating habits). In type 2 diabetes your body isnt able to properly use the insulin it makes, which is called insulin resistance. Over time this puts extra work on the pancreas and it cant make enough insulin to keep blood glucose at normal levels. Physical activity and weight loss can help improve insulin resistance, but medications (pills or insulin injections) are often needed to help keep blood glucose levels in target.

The following symptoms of diabetes are typical. However, some people with type 2 diabetes have symptoms so mild that they go unnoticed.

Common symptoms of diabetes:

Feeling very hungry - even though you are eating

Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal

Weight loss - even though you are eating more (type 1)

Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2)

Early detection and treatment of diabetes can decrease the risk of developing complications (source: http://www.diabetes.org).

Pre-Diabetes is where your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Normal fasting blood glucose is considered to be < 100. Pre Diabetes is a fasting blood glucose between 100-125 and diabetes is diagnosed when fasting blood glucose is > 126.

If your blood test results show that you have diabetes, ask your health care provider for a referral to a Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. If you have pre-diabetes or are at risk for diabetes consider joining a lifestyle change program offered through the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program. Rivers Edge Hospital is your local site for the National Diabetes Prevention Program and the next series of classes start August 26th at 6:00 pm. For more information call 934-7694.

Jen Donkin is a registered dietitian at River's Edge Hospital in St. Peter.

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River's Edge Hospital: With diabetes, early detection can reduce risk - Southernminn.com