NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)- Doctors call it a silent killer and in Middle Tennessee, its affecting one ethnic group at an alarming rate.

Diabetes is on the rise in the hispanic community and one local doctor is educating patients and helping them control this potentially deadly disease.

Sergio Mezo is just happy he got help when he did.

My life has changed a lot in the last year my feet use to hurt a lot, they use to be numb, now my feet are better. I used to be very, very tired. I wanted to sleep a lot while I was working, said Mezo.

Mezo was diagnosed with Type One diabetes at 23 and over the last eight years hes had a hard time making appointments with his primary care physician.

I was very sick, waiting in another clinic to be seen and they didnt have any openings, said Mezo.

Since he started seeing nurse practitionerLuisa Leal, his diabetes is now under control.

Its a silent killer. Diabetes falls under the same category as high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol, those are the silent killers, said Leal.

Mezo is not alone. There is a growing number of Hispanics in Nashville being diagnosed with diabetes.

Mirta Rodriquez, 75, found out she had diabetes 22 years ago and during one visit, her blood sugar levels were through the roof.

It should be between 100 and 160 for her, but the patient had hot coco today, and hot coco has a lot of sugar, said Leal.

Leal says many Hispanics live with the disease and dont know they have it.

The average undiagnosed is usually between five years and ten years, said Leal.

So this nurse practitioner is educating her patients.

Its going to be very difficult to solve in one day, but prevention is the key and educating the patient, educating the community.

Leal said Hispanics from Central America and the Caribbean see some of the highest number of diabetes cases, mainly because when they move here to the states, they adopted the American way of living and eating.

A passive lifestyle with poor eating habits and now the obesity, added Leal.

For every one Hispanic Leal helps, she says there are many others who go untreated.

They just want to be working the 7-days during the week, and making money so they take care of their family; their last priority is taking care of themselves, said Leal.

Diabetes is a hereditary disease and the CDC estimates 40 percent of all Americans could develop Type Two diabetes while that number jumps to 50 percent for Hispanics.

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At this years Miss USA Pageant, it wont just be Miss Michigan USA Krista Fergusons first time competing on the Miss USA stageit will also be the first time a contestant has visibly worn a glucose monitor for type 1 diabetes during competition. Fergusons monitor, a patch called Dexcom, will be visible on her arm all night long as she vies for the title.

But when Ferguson, 24, first won Miss Michigan USA, she wasnt sure if shed wear her monitor somewhere visible or not. (She can wear the patch on her arm, thigh, or stomach, or even take it off for a few hours if she feels confident about her blood sugar levels.) Recently, she did a Snapchat takeover on the Miss USA account and documented how she checks her blood sugar each day. I had a lot of people messaging me if I would be wearing [my monitor] on stage, Ferguson tells Glamour. I thought, I dont want to make anybody feel pity for me, but this is my platform. I have accepted it and learned that I can make a difference and have an impact on young women and men. And that made the decision easy: If I were to take it off its almost a little bit hypocritical. Why would I hide something like that? Im keeping it onwith pride.

Ferguson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2015, at age 22, a late diagnosis for this type, which is often identified in late childhood or early adolescence. I actually went to the hospital for something completely differenta ruptured ovarian cystbut they took my blood sugar and found out it was 400, Ferguson explains, a very high reading. At first, I was in shock. [My diabetes] had been untreated for so longI could have gone into a diabetic coma. Then, she says, she realized that years of unexplained symptomsextreme thirst (I was drinking 15-16 water bottles per day), an overactive bladder, tingling in her toes, blurry vision, exhaustioncould be attributed to her diabetes. Even though it was a relief that these symptoms could now be managed with insulin injections, she still says she struggled to come to terms with her diagnosis. When I got diagnosed, a part of me didnt want to compete in pageants anymore, says Ferguson, who first vied for the title of Miss Michigan in 2014, before her diagnosis. I thought: Im never going to win. Theyre going to see me and think shes sick. So she took a year off. During that time, she says, I eventually told myself: Im going to have diabetes, but my circumstance and my illness do not define me. I pushed myself. I reminded myself: I want this. She returned to the competition in 2016, finishing as first runner up, which only fueled her resolve to win. She returned in 2017 and took the title. I really understand my disease now, so type 1 diabetes was my platform. Im very positive about it, explains Ferguson, who works with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) as her chosen philanthropy, an organization working to end juvenile diabetes.

These days, Ferguson says she lives a pretty regular life. Shes made a few minor dietary changesI still have dessert, but things with protein like milkshakes and cheesecake work better for my body always aims to hit her 10,000 steps since staying active helps her body regulate her blood sugar, and checks her blood sugar levels regularly on her phone via an app that syncs up to her Dexcom monitor. When she takes the stage Sunday night, she hopes young people everywhere living with type 1 diabetes feel empowered by seeing her wearing her Dexcom. Whether I win or lose, if those kids can see that pageant girls can have diabetes and still competethat is winning.

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Why This Miss USA Contestant Is Proudly Wearing Her Type 1 Diabetes Glucose Monitor During the Competition - Glamour

This article originally appeared on The Conversation.

The World Health Organisation estimates that the number of people with diabetes is422m, globally. And between 1980 and 2014 the number of people with the condition almost doubled. Despite the high prevalence of the disease, it is often misunderstood. Here are some common misconceptions about diabetes.

New research suggests Type 2 diabetes may be caused by high levels of toxins released by staph bacteria. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

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1. Diabetes is Purely a Disorder of the Pancreas

Diabetes doesaffect the pancreas, but it shouldnt just be thought of as an illness that affects the body from the neck down. If we take this viewpoint we miss the psychological impact of living with this condition. And its a big one. As well as the issue of adjusting to the diagnosis of a long-term health condition, people with diabetes aremore likely to develop depression. There is even a specific form of depression associated with diabetes known asdiabetes distress. Its when a person is struggling to cope with managing their condition.

Having diabetes affects your mental abilities too. Research suggests that diabetes can affect your ability tothink clearly, focus and recall memories.

Diabetes also affects other brain processes, such as how we weigh up food choices. Researchers are also investigating how hormones, such as insulin,seem to regulate food choices. These particular brain effects, within a system called the midbrain dopamine system, offer one potential explanation for why some diabetics find it difficult to follow health advice, no matter how often they are given it.

2. Only Overweight or Obese People Get Diabetes

There is a strong association between type 2 diabetes and obesity, but that doesnt mean that everyone who is diabetic is overweight or obese. Nor does it mean that everyone who is overweight or obese will develop diabetes.

However, a Public Health Englandreportsaid that obese adults in England were five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than adults of a normal weight. But there is still a lot of work to be done to fully understand thelink between diabetes and obesity. This includes understanding the biological mechanisms that might link the two.

Type 1 diabetes isnt associated with obesity. It is considered to be an autoimmune disorder which means that the bodys own immune system attacks the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. Its a very successful attack; a type 1 diabetic is no longer able to produce insulin. There is some evidence thattype 1 diabetes is genetic, yet not everyone in possession of the diabetes risk genes will develop diabetes. There is also some evidence thattype 1 diabetes might be caused by a virus.

3. You Need to Inject Insulin Regularly

Type 1 diabetics do require insulin therapy, but this can be delivered using insulin pumps. These devices reduce the need to inject insulin regularly. The insulin is still delivered via a needle, which is attached to a piece of tubing and then to the pump, and there are several advantages to this method. One is that it is more discrete and the diabeticavoids the social stigmaassociated withinjecting in public. The second is that it reduces the need tofind different injection sites.

There are a range of treatment options for type 2 diabetes, and for gestational diabetes (which develops during pregnancy). These types of diabetes may be treated by lifestyle changes or, in the early stages, might be successfully managed by pills, such as metformin. As diabetics age, or as a pregnancy progresses, there may be a need for insulin or a combination of pills. Those diabetics who are struggling to manage their condition might also be offered a drug such as bromocriptine, which targets areas of the brain that help toregulate the bodys metabolism.

4. Diabetes is Easy to Manage

There is some evidence that alow-calorie dietmay return fasting blood glucose levels to normal in type 2 diabetics, which has led to suggestions that this may be a cure. But theres no evidence that this is permanent and most doctors agree that diabetes (excluding gestational diabetes) is for life.

The serious long-term complications of diabetes arelimb amputation, loss of sight and cardiovascular disease. This is why routine screening is in place to monitor these aspects of diabetic health. In short, some diabetes complications can kill.

Diabetes is a hidden disease and for many people it certainly isnt easy to manage. Being given healthy living advice and education is not enough to help everyone, and many fail tomanage their condition(although some manage successfully until their illness progresses and everything changes). Blood sugar levels areaffected bynutrition, activity, sleep cycles illness, and stress and other hormone effects. So the signs and symptoms of diabetes are rarely stable.

For most people, diabetes is for life. It is a serious condition that can feel unpredictable and overwhelming, at times. Many people with diabetes report experiencing the stigma surrounding the condition. Some diabetics even have their own misunderstandings and preconceptions. It is therefore vital to raise awareness of the reality of living with diabetes to help improve the experience of it.

Claire Rostron is a Senior Lecturer at The Open University.

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Debunking Major Myths About Diabetes - Newsweek

May 13, 2017 12:50 PM By RachelSlavik

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) A University of St. Thomas freshman is not waiting for her college degree to pave her own career path.

Meghan Sharkus launched her medical adhesive company called ExpressionMed last year.

The 19 year old came up with the idea after seeing the impact that diabetes has had on close friends.

Having choice in an area where you dont feel like you have a lot of choice is really important, Sharkus said.

The product is designed to keep wearable medical devices, like insulin or glucose monitors, attached to the body.

Meghan Sharkus (credit: CBS)

Theyre tapes that go over wearable medical devices to hold them in place, Sharkus said.

When developing her product, Sharkus wanted to incorporate a fun look with unique shapes. The large stickers take the shape of footballs, soccer balls, hearts and animals and she has more patterns in the works.

When its something you have to wear every day, for years and years and years, you want to mix it up, she said. When you pick out clothes, you can pick out your device design.

Along with the design, she also wanted to address a common problem for patients who struggled to keep the device in place.

Sixty percent of people who stop using these devices do so because the tape doesnt stay on, Sharkus said.

(credit: CBS)

She worked with a local, major adhesive manufacturer to create the product. Sharkus holds a design and utility patent for a product that can stay on for weeks through water or any outdoor activities.

It stays on nice. You can scratch at it and move it and its not going to come up. And when you remove it, it comes up and no problems, Sharkus said. This adhesive is high quality. Its a super-thin adhesive that moves with you.

Six months since her product first hit the market, Sharkus is already looking to grow to meet demand, setting her down a career path years before graduation

The reaction to this line of products have been crazy, she said. Starting this now instead of five years from now is going to help a whole generation of kids that are living with this.

Click here to learn more about the product, or to help Sharkus continue to grow her business.

Rachel Slavik joined the WCCO team in October of 2010 and is thrilled to be back in her hometown. Rachel spent three years in the sweltering heat of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She anchored, produced, and reported at WVLA. During her time in the Deep...

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A top White House official tried to defend the American Health Care Act (AHCA) the GOPs response to Obamacareearlier this week by implying that health care systems shouldnt help someone who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes.

According to the Washington Examiner, Mick Mulvaney of the Office of Management and Budget delivered the line on Thursday while speaking to the LIGHT Forum at Stanford University. Mulvaney was asked whether he agreed with the Jimmy Kimmel testor the idea famously forwarded by the late-night show host that No parent should ever have to decide if they can afford to save their childs life. Kimmel made the quip while delivering an impassioned account of his newborn sons struggle to survive a congenital heart disease.

Mulvaney said he agreed with the idea in principle, but with one a very specific caveat: taxpayers shouldnt help people who fall ill because of, ostensibly, their own actions.

That doesnt mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes, Mulvaney said. Is that the same thing as Jimmy Kimmels kid? I dont think that it is.

Mulvaney was attempting to defend the AHCA, which was narrowly approved by House of Representatives this month without a single Democratic vote. In its current form, the bill would essentially allow insurance companies to price people with pre-existing conditions out of the health insurance marketplace. Meanwhile, so-called Trumpcare includes a $880 billion cut to Medicaid, which stands to result in roughly 24 million Americans losing their health insurance because of premium increases.

Mulvaneys statement was widely panned by progressives as compassionless, but diabetes advocates also noted that it is also inaccurate: The American Diabetes Association was quick to condemn Mulvaneys remarks, saying they are extremely disappointed and describing his statement as misinformed.

Mr. Mulvaneys comments perpetuate the stigma that one chooses to have diabetes based on his/her lifestyle, the statement read. We are also deeply troubled by his assertion that access to health care should be rationed or denied to anyone. All of the scientific evidence indicates that diabetes develops from a diverse set of risk factors, genetics being a primary cause. People with diabetes need access to affordable health care in order to effectively manage their disease and prevent dangerous and costly complications. Nobody should be denied coverage or charged more based on their health status.

Indeed, poor diet and lack of exercise does not appear to have been the cause of diabetes for professional athletes who suffer from the disease, such U.S. soccer star Jordan Morris.

Whats more, Huffington Post health care reporter Jonathan Cohn pointed out that health care systems that attempt to segregate patients by medical condition (or, presumably, how they acquired their condition) often hurt all people with illnesses, because the practice almost inevitably leads to shabby care for the sick, regardless of how they got that way.

Roughly two-thirds of the states operated [condition-segregated health care systems] before the Affordable Care Act took effect, and they inevitably offered coverage that was less affordable, less available or less comprehensive than standard policies, he said.

The idea that the needy somehow contributed to their own plightand that more privileged Americans shouldnt be required to care for themis an old conservative argument traditionally applied to economics. In 2013, Republican and then-congressman Stephen Fincher attempted to justify cutting food stamps by misquoting a Biblical verse, declaring Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) repeated the exact same verse earlier this year to justify increasing the work requirements for unemployed adults on the food stamp program.

Now the same idea is reemergingoften with religious undertonesas a way to cut ostensibly underserving sick people out of health care systems. In March, Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS) argued against Medicaid expansion by arguing that society will always have sick people.

Just like Jesus said, The poor will always be with us, Marshall told Stat News in March, citing scripture in a way that arguably belies its original intent. There is a group of people that just dont want health care and arent going to take care of themselves.

Just, like, homeless people. I think just morally, spiritually, socially, [some people] just dont want health care, he added. The Medicaid population, which is [on] a free credit card, as a group, do probably the least preventive medicine and taking care of themselves and eating healthy and exercising. And Im not judging, Im just saying socially thats where they are. So theres a group of people that even with unlimited access to health care are only going to use the emergency room when their arm is chopped off or when their pneumonia is so bad they get brought [into] the ER.

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Top Trump official says we shouldn't take care of someone who 'eats poorly and gets diabetes' - ThinkProgress

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) - More than a thousand people walked a course around New Bo Market Saturday in an effort to end type 1 diabetes.

The Eastern Iowa chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation held its 19th annual One Walk in front of the New Bo Market Saturday morning. The weather helped boost the turnout for some food, music and festivities that accompanied the walk. Sponsors provided some free snacks and games for kids as teams met in a tailgate format ahead of the walk.

Teams competed to raise money to talk part in the walk. All the money raised goes to JDRF to fund research into treatment and finding a cure for type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes can hit children or adults at any age and, unlike type 2 diabetes, is not preventable. It causes the pancreas to stop producing insulin, a hormone that helps breakdown food into energy. People with type one must constantly monitor blood sugar levels and manage it with insulin injections and diet restrictions. More tha 1.25 million Americans are living with type 1 diabetes, 200,000 of them less than 20 years old. 40,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. every year.

Warning signs of T1D may occur suddenly and can include:

Extreme thirst Frequent urination Drowsiness or lethargy Increased appetite Sudden weight loss Sudden vision changes Sugar in the urine Fruity odor on the breath Heavy or labored breathing Stupor or unconsciousness

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Novel tissue-engineered islet transplant achieves insulin independence in type 1 diabetes Science Daily Scientists from the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have produced the first clinical results demonstrating that pancreatic islet cells transplanted within a tissue-engineered platform can ...

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After being diagnosed with diabetes, every meal became a complicated math lesson.

Barbara Goldsmith had to become vigilant about everything she put in her body. The Edinburgh resident meticulously counted carbohydrates, too many of which can spike her blood sugar level and wreak havoc on her body.

She calculated how much she has eaten, and immediately following a meal, factored in housework, gardening or some other activity so that her sugars dont rise to unsafe levels.

On top of the four different medications she takes, diabetes has shifted everything in Goldsmiths life. But changing her lifestyle has been her only option.

Lauren Witt unpacks the blood sugar monitor that she keeps with her at all times. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

The blood sugar monitor and testing strips that Lauren Witt keeps with her at all times. Witt, 29, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt sets up the blood sugar monitor and testing strips that she keeps with her at all times. If her blood sugar, or glucose, reaches a certain level, she may need an emergency shot of insulin. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt sets up the blood sugar monitor and testing strips that she keeps with her at all times. If her blood sugar, or glucose, reaches a certain level, she may need an emergency shot of insulin. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt sets up the blood sugar monitor and testing strips that she keeps with her at all times. If her blood sugar, or glucose, reaches a certain level, she may need an emergency shot of insulin. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago. Ryan Trares

The different types of insulin that Lauren Witt keeps with her at all times in case of a diabetic emergency. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt, 29, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

Watch what you eat and how much you eat. If you have medication, take it. Watch your sugar, and try to stay active. Those are the main things, she said. I dont know what would happen to me if I dont do that.

More and more Johnson County residents such as Goldsmith are living with diabetes or are on their way to developing it in the future. The disease has become worryingly more prevalent throughout Indiana, growing by more than 50 percent from 2000 to 2009.

Battling the growing epidemic has required a multi-faceted approach. Health officials have focused on educating patients about ways to avoid the disease, stressing diet and exercise, and teaching how the sugars we consume impact the body.

The hope is to stem the increase of new cases, while helping people already diagnosed live healthier and minimize the impact.

Diabetes is a global epidemic. Its out of control, said Dr. Gaston Dana of Johnson Memorial Internal Medicine Specialists. Once you develop it, you have it for life. By realizing that you can make changes in lifestyle that can significantly impact that, you can possibly stop that.

Diabetes is broad term for diseases characterized by high levels of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. The disease is caused by defects in insulin production, how insulin acts in the body, or a combination of both. Insulin is a hormone necessary for the regulation of blood glucose levels.

When insulin production and action in the body works improperly, complications such as heart disease, stroke, amputation and blindness can occur. At its worst, the disease can cause death.

The disease can come in varying forms. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system attacks beta cells in the pancreas, the only cells in the body that make insulin to regulate glucose.

Type 2 is the more common form, accounting for between 90 and 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. The bodys cells start resisting insulin and not using it properly, which eventually causes the pancreas to lose the ability to make it.

Diabetes levels in Indiana, particularly Type 2, have risen sharply since 2000, climbing from 6 percent of the population to 12.9 percent. In Johnson County, 11 percent of people have the disease. Treating diabetes costs Indiana $6.6 billion in medical costs each year, according to the American Diabetes Association.

I would say its over 50 percent of our patient population that is dealing with diabetes, Dana said.

Many of those people are referred to the Diabetes Care Center at Johnson Memorial Health, where specialists help patients adapt to what is a consuming and jarring diagnosis.

No one wants to have this diagnosis. Probably 50 percent of the people who sit in front of me are angry and in denial, said Carla Duncan, a registered nurse at the Diabetes Care Center. Theyre not hearing a word that I say, so you have to find a way to connect to them.

The staff works to ensure their patients understands what their disease is and what theyll be going through. They explain the genetic factors of the disease, how things such as being overweight, skipping meals or smoking can turn the hereditary aspects of diabetes on. Medication and how it can impact the disease is also covered.

The key is to help people understand how the disease is managed now, Duncan said.

A lot of the people who come here have preconceived ideas and old beliefs about diabetes. My grandma did this, it worked for her 50 years ago, why are you telling me something different now,' she said. So just making people realize that what we knew 50 years ago is different than what we know now about diabetes.

Lauren Witt was 24 when she was diagnosed with diabetes. She noticed that she was losing a lot of weight, despite still eating the same amount she always had. Her vision would get blurry, and on one occurrence, she passed out.

A blood test confirmed that her glucose levels were incredibly high. Once doctors determined that she had Type 1 diabetes, she was referred to Duncan to help manage the disease. She helped Witt learn to take insulin, count carbohydrates and learn more about nutrition.

(Duncan) has been so helpful. I call her my diabetes mom. She always takes care of me, and I can count on her to help with whatever questions I have, she said.

In the five years since diagnosis, Witt has adapted every part of her life around the disease.

It affects everything I do. When I wake up, I need to make sure sugar is decent, that I didnt get too low during the night. When I exercise, I have to have something to eat with me because my blood sugar can drop quickly. And everything I eat I have to count, she said. A lot of people dont know a lot about food, so to learn actual nutrition helped me comprehend everything better.

Lifestyle is a huge focus for patients with diabetes, Duncan said. Many of the people they see dont exercise, eat poorly or smoke, contributing to and exasperating the situation. Misconceptions about the disease also have to be overcome.

People have to adjust the food they consume, when and how much they eat, factor in exercise and adapt to the medications.

Changing your lifestyle is probably the hardest thing in the world. We want everybody else in the world to change, but not us. When were told to change, it gets very uncomfortable, Duncan said. The key to being successful at this is helping the patient get to that point in their life, when they say theyre ready to change.

Goldsmith was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes around 2005 but refused to change much about her life. She had always eaten whatever she wanted and didnt do much exercising.

Though she was told to watch her concentrated sugars, she didnt pay attention. She kept gaining weight, reaching 171 pounds at the most.

I knew I was diabetic, but I just didnt do anything about it. I didnt watch myself. Thats what got me out of control, she said.

But during a checkup with her doctor, a blood test revealed that Goldsmiths glucose levels were almost twice the normal levels.

(My doctor) was very upset with me. She put me on medication, and sent me to Carla, she said. Without their help I wouldnt be where I am today.

Duncan schooled Goldsmith on portion control, how to count her carbohydrates so that too much wouldnt spike her glucose levels.

Living a more active lifestyle was also very important. Goldsmith hurt her back, which prevents her from walking long distances or running. But after she eats, she makes sure to do housework, finish the dishes, take care of laundry anything to keep moving.

The more I move around after I eat, the better my blood sugar numbers will be. If you eat a meal and sit down, let it absorb, it will screw up your numbers, she said.

Following Duncans advice, Goldsmith lost 40 pounds and dropped to 133. Her blood sugar levels have stabilized and she feels better than she has for years.

In addition to her diet and exercise, she takes one pill after breakfast, and three others after dinner to help her body regulate her blood sugar. Three times a day, she has to test her blood to monitor her sugar levels.

Medical professionals measure blood sugar to determine if a patient has diabetes. A normal blood glucose level is below 5.7 percent, while diabetes is diagnosed if that level is 6.5 percent of above.

Patients need to know how different factors affect their blood sugar, how to test it and what those numbers mean.

Even most people who have had diabetes for many years cant tell me what their blood sugar should be, Duncan said.

Duncan and her staff also work with people who come to the center with prediabetes their blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet reaching the level to be considered diabetes. The condition can often be reversed with lifestyle changes, such as improving your diet and getting more exercise.

They have to know how to do that, though, Duncan said.

Weight loss, exercise, diet. Most people with prediabetes need to lose a little bit of weight, probably arent as active as they need to be, she said. Our goal is more about lifestyle. By changing lifestyle, we can change that diagnosis back to normal to prevent the diagnosis of diabetes until later in life.

If you go

Diabetes education series

What: A series of workshops and informational meetings presented by the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center teaching people about diabetes, blood sugar and other aspects of nutrition and the disease.

Where: Johnson County Public Library, Franklin Branch, 401 State St.

Next session: 1 to 3 p.m. June 22, focusing on sugars and carbohydrates, reading a food label and balancing your plate.

Additional workshop: 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 28

Cost: Free. No registration necessary.

Information: (317) 346-3846 or JohnsonMemorial.org/Diabetes

Link:
Diabetes cases on the rise - Daily Journal - Daily Journal

Recent studies are showing more frequent occurrences of diabetes in the U.S. and Kentucky, but the numbers could be even higher than they appear.

Cases of diabetes diagnoses have gone from about 6.5 percent in 2000 to 13.4 percent in 2015 in the state, according to the Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance survey. And about one in three people or 37 percent of Kentuckians have prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Scott Countians are faring better than people in eastern Kentucky, which has a higher rate of diabetes, most likely because theres less access to medical treatment in rural areas, said Cindy Caywood, a dietician and director of the Bariatric & Metabolic Center at Georgetown Community Hospital.

Prevalence of diabetes in children has also risen across the U.S., with an estimated 3,000 children in Kentucky having it.

Thats not including people who are walking around that are diabetic, but they dont know, Caywood said. The data has shown that its increased, but the prevalence of folks who have diabetes is much higher than theyre even able to capture in the data.

Most people, if they have blood sugar issues and they dont know it, theyre running high.

Symptoms of high blood sugar include constant thirst, blurry vision, frequently having to use the bathroom and fatigue, according to the Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program from 2014.

I have some people who will say, My vision was acting up, and they have no idea that that can be a direct relation to their blood sugars, Caywood said.

People not knowing they have the disease can be dangerous, Caywood said.

Usually if someone has diabetes they have other comorbidities, she said.

Circulation and heart problems are some of the conditions that often accompany diabetes. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or stroke while two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke, according to the National Diabetes Education Program. Close to 40 percent of people who visit the hospital for cardiovascular issues are diagnosed with diabetes as a secondary condition, Caywood said.

And diabetes-related hospitalization and treatment are costing Kentuckians a lot of money. Charges for inpatient hospitalizations in Kentucky related to diabetes complications in 2015 amounted to $269,148,739, according to the 2017 Kentucky Diabetes Report.

I think theres a lot of folks who cant afford their diabetes, their testing strips, their medicine, Caywood said.

The obvious cause for diabetes is weight gain, although genetics do play a role as well, Caywood said. The number of obese adults in the U.S. have increased drastically to 68 percent today from only 10 percent in 1900, Caywood said.

Although diabetes cant necessarily be cured, there are ways to treat it effectively and keep its symptoms in check.

The good news is that it responds to lifestyle changes, Caywood said.

Eating healthier and exercising regularly can help type two diabetes sufferers lose weight and could possibly reduce their need to take insulin. The key to eating healthier is mostly eating vegetables, fruits and lean proteins as well as staying away from simple carbs sugary foods such as desserts and regular sodas.

For those who find it difficult to lose weight on their own, bariatric surgery is now considered a viable treatment option for diabetics, Caywood said. In fact, patients who have bariatric surgery often see lowered blood sugar levels before leaving the hospital.

It gives them a tool to not just lose the weight but to keep the weight off, she said. If you gain it back, the issues reappear.

Caywood also believes prevention is the best way to fight diabetes.

I think we need more education on healthy eating habits and signs of prediabetes, Caywood said.

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Diabetes diagnoses rising in Kentucky, bigger problem than data shows - News- Graphic (subscription)