What is diabetes?(diabetes freedom review)
In this section:
What are the different types of diabetes?
How common is diabetes?
Who is most likely to have type 2 diabetes?
What health problems can people with diabetes have?
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the level of glucose in the blood, also known as blood sugar, is too high. Glucose in the blood is the main source of energy and comes from food. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from the food enter cells to be used for energy. Sometimes the body does not make enough or does not produce insulin or does not use it properly and glucose stays in the blood and does not reach the cells.
Over time, too much glucose in the blood can cause health problems. Although there is no cure for diabetes, a person with diabetes can take steps to control their disease and stay healthy.
Sometimes people with diabetes say that they have "a little high blood sugar" or that they have "prediabetes." These terms make us think that the person does not really have diabetes or that their case is less serious. However, all cases of diabetes are serious.
What are the different types of diabetes?
The main types of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.
Diabetes type 1
With type 1 diabetes, the body does not make insulin because the immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that make it. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with type 1 diabetes have to use insulin every day to survive.
Type 2 diabetes
With type 2 diabetes, the body does not make or use insulin properly. Type 2 diabetes can appear at any age, even during childhood. However, this type of diabetes occurs most often in the middle-aged and in the elderly. This is the most common type of diabetes.
Gestational diabetes
The gestational diabetes affects some women during pregnancy. Most of the time, this type of diabetes goes away after the baby is born. However, when a woman has had gestational diabetes, she is more likely to have type 2 diabetes later in life. Sometimes the diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is actually type 2 diabetes.
Other types of diabetes
Other less common types of this disease include monogenic diabetes, which is a hereditary form of diabetes, and diabetes-related to cystic fibrosis
How common is diabetes?
By 2015, 30.3 million people in the United States, or 9.4 percent of the population, had diabetes. More than 1 in 4 of these people did not know they had the disease. Diabetes affects 1 in 4 people over 65 years of age. About 90-95 percent of cases in adults corresponds to type 2 diabetes.
Who is most likely to have type 2 diabetes?
People who are most likely to develop type 2 diabetes are those who are over 45 years of age, have a family history of diabetes, or are overweight. Physical inactivity, race, and certain health problems, such as high blood pressure, also affect your chance of having type 2 diabetes. Also, your chance of developing type 2 diabetes is higher if you have prediabetes or if you had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant. Learn more about the risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
What health problems can people with diabetes have?
Over time, high blood glucose levels cause problems like:
heart disease
cerebrovascular accidents
kidney disease
eye problems
dental disease
nerve injuries
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