Truong, Amy
Lam, Maria
Period 2, H Bio
April 30, 2003
DIABETES
Diabetes is a disease in
which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a
hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy
needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a
mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and
lack of exercise appear to play roles.
There are three major types of diabetes:
Type 1:
Results from the body’s failure to produce insulin, the
hormone that “unlocks” the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and
fuel them. It is estimated that 5-10% of Americans who are diagnosed with
diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
Type 2:
Results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the
body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin
deficiency. Approximately 90-95% (16 million) have type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women
- about 135,000 cases in the United States each year.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes.
In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the
cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to
use sugar. Sugar is the basic fuel for the cells in the body, and insulin
takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in
the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems:
·
Cells may be starved
for energy.
Over time, high blood glucose
levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.
About 11.1 million people
are diagnosed while 5.9 million people are undiagnosed. In 1999, approximately
450,000 deaths occurred among people with diabetes aged 25 years and older.
This figure represents about 19% of all deaths in the United States in people
aged 25 years and older. The risk for death among people with diabetes is about
2 times that of people without diabetes. However, the increased risk associated
with diabetes is greater for younger people (that is, 3.6 times for people aged
25-44 years versus 1.5 for those aged 65-74 years) and women (that is, 2.7
times for women aged 45-64 years versus 2.0 for men in that age group).
Diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates
in 1999. This is based on the 68,399 death certificates in which diabetes was
listed as the underlying cause of death. Diabetes was listed as a contributing
cause of death on an additional 141,265 death certificates. However, many
decedents with diabetes do not have the disease entered on their death
certificate; only about 35% to 40% have it listed anywhere on the certificate
and only about 10% to 15% have it listed as the underlying cause of death.
This is based on
the 68,399 death certificates in which diabetes was listed as the underlying
cause of death. Approximately
15.7 million Americans have diabetes. The American Diabetes Assn. estimates
that this disease costs the nation $98 billion a year in medical care, lost
wages, and disability.
Diabetes is the
leading cause of blindness among working-age adults. If people with diabetes
receive appropriate screening and care, blindness could be prevented. Diabetes
is the cause of kidney failure, affecting about 33,000 individuals each year.
More than half of lower-limb amputations occur among people with diabetes;
86,000 diabetes-related amputations are performed annually.
Statistically 8.6
percent of the people ages 20 or older have diabetes out of 16.9 million. 20.1 percent of all people
age 65 years or older out of 7 million have diabetes. 8.3 percent of all men
out of 7.8 million have diabetes. 8.9 percent of all women out of 9.1 million
have diabetes. 7.8 percent of all non-Hispanic whites out of 11.4 million have
diabetes.
The treatment for people with type 1 diabetes would
be insulin delivered by a pump or injections. People with type 2 diabetes can
maintain their blood glucose by a careful diet and exercise program, losing
excess weight, and taking oral medication. People with diabetes also need to
take medications to control their cholesterol level and their blood pressure. Among adults with diagnosed
diabetes, about 11 percent take both insulin and oral medications, 22 percent
take insulin only, 49 percent take oral medications only, and 17 percent do not
take either insulin or oral medications.
Diabetes symptoms are: Frequent urination, excessive thirst, unexplained
weight loss, extreme hunger, sudden vision changes, numbness in hands or feet,
tiredness, very dry skin, sores which heal slowly, and more infections than
usual. Nausea, vomiting, or stomach
pains may accompany some of these symptoms in the abrupt onset of
insulin-dependent diabetes, now called type 1 diabetes.
A number of studies have shown that regular physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It also appears to be associated with obesity. Researchers are making progress in identifying the exact genetics and "triggers" that predispose some individuals to develop type 1 diabetes, but prevention, as well as a cure, remains elusive. (American Diabetes Association)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. http://www.ohsuhealth.com/diabetes/facts.asp
2. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/estimates.htm
3. http://www.diabetes.org/main/application/commercewf
4. The Diabetic's Book: All Your Questions Answered by June Biermann and Barbara Toohey
