Diabetes: Old Disease New Epidemic

by Youmasu J. Siewe, Ph.D, MPH.

The following article was published in the Stillwater News Press on May24, 2002.

The increasing number of fat or obese individuals who hate to exercise, and enjoy being “couch potatoes” are at greater risk of getting diabetes, one of the oldest diseases, which has become the country’s new epidemic,  according the US Centers for disease control (CDC).  There is good news for the obese and couch potatoes who are disciplined and determined to eat less, exercise regularly and thus free themselves from the burden of getting diabetes. There are two broad categories of diabetes: (a) Diabetes Mellitus, the most common category, and (b) Diabetes Insipidus, the less common category. Diabetes insipidus results when the body lacks the anti diuretic hormone (ADH).   This is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland in the brain, and controls the excretion of fluid or urination from the body. Individuals who have diabetes insipidus pass huge volumes of urine that does not test positive for sugar or glucose.

 This article discuses diabetes mellitus (the most common category) in a question and answer format.
 
(1) What is diabetes? It is a chronic, serious and costly disease which has increased by over 49% in the country and likely to continue increasing during the next decade.  According to the US Centers for Disease Control, 17 million Americans have diabetes, and over 200,000 people die each year from the complication of diabetes. Because diabetes is also considered a “silent killer” many individuals may have the disease without knowing about it. About 5.9 million Americans are estimated to have diabetes and unaware of having it. In Oklahoma, about 320,000 individuals are estimated to have diabetes, half of whom may not be aware of having this disease, and about 1,800 Oklahomans die annually from diabetes, reports the Oklahoma State Department of Health.  Oklahomans also spend about $180 million in medical cost and lost productivity because of diabetes.

(2) What causes diabetes?  The exact cause of diabetes is unknown but any disease condition that affects the functioning of the pancreas, such as cancer of the pancreas, inflammation or the side effects of some drugs can cause diabetes.  Obesity may also over-burden the pancreas and lead to diabetes.  

(3) What goes wrong in the body to cause diabetes?  Two things go wrong in the body to cause diabetes: (a) Special cells in the pancreas fail completely to produce insulin, or insufficient insulin is produced to meet the body’s needs to use sugar for energy. (b)  Diabetes may also result when the body can not use produced insulin.

(4) Is there a difference between type-1, and type-2 diabetes? “Yes” Type-1, also called juvenile, or insulin-dependent diabetes, is one of two types of diabetes mellitus.  Type-1 accounts for 5-10% of the diabetes cases. In type-1 diabetes, the pancreas, produces very little or no insulin at all.  The onset of this type of diabetes is usually before the age 15 years.  Type-2 diabetes, also called adult on-set diabetes, or non-insulin dependent diabetes is a common type of diabetes and accounts for 90-95% of all cases of diabetes.  Type-2 diabetes usually starts around 45 years of age, but younger individuals are now been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes.

(5) What is gestational diabetes? This is the type of diabetes that a woman who has not been previously diagnosed with diabetes, may get when they becomes pregnant.  For some women, gestational diabetes may disappear after pregnancy, while others may continue to be diabetics, even after pregnancy.
           

(6) What are the risk factors of diabetes? A risk factor is any condition or behavior that increases ones chance of developing another health problem or disease.  The risk factors of diabetes include: (1) family history;(2) being fat or overweight; (3) not engaging in regular exercise, (4) being an African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans or Native Americans; (5) being over the age of 45; and (5) being pregnant.

(7) What are the symptoms of diabetes? People who have diabetes may not show symptoms, or show one or more of the following symptoms: Frequent urination, excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, extreme hunger, sudden vision changes, tingling or numbness in hands or feet, feeling very tired much of the time, very dry skin, frequent yeast infections, presence of sugar in urine when tested, or a higher than normal fasting blood sugar reading. Diabetics also develop sores that are slow to heal.

(8) What are some complications of diabetes? A complication is an undesired condition that can be caused by the presence of another condition.  The complications of diabetes which cause the most deaths are: heart disease, kidney failure, eye disease and blindness, pregnancy complication, and flu or pneumonia.

9) How can diabetes be prevented? Regular exercise and avoiding being fat or obese are the most important steps to prevent type-2 diabetes. The lack of insulin in type-1 diabetes makes it very difficult to control. Control/treatment requires a strict regimen of calculated diet, planned physical activity, home blood sugar testing several times a day, and multiple daily insulin injections. Treatment/control of type-2 diabetes typically includes diet monitoring, exercise, home blood glucose testing, oral medication or insulin in some cases. Individuals can prevent the trend of this new national epidemic by being knowledgeable about diabetes, losing weight, and exercising regularly.  You can do it!
 

Youmasu J. Siewe, Ph.D., MPH, is the State Specialist for Public Health Education, Oklahoma
Cooperative Extension Service at OSU in Stillwater.  For Questions, call (405) 744 6825.  For online access to Extension/Community Health Column, please check “articles” on the web at: http://www.fcs.okstate.edu/health/.