Diabetes is diagnosed when one’s fasting blood glucose is 126 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood or greater. In contrast, low blood glucose is a much rarer condition.
Diabetes affects 8% of the North American population. Of these, it is estimated 30%-50% of these people do not know that they have the disease.
There are two major forms of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but it is most often diagnosed in children, teens, or young adults. The disease runs in certain families, indicating a clear genetic link.
It is characterized with decreased release of insulin from the pancreas.
A common clinical method to determine a person’s success in controlling bloodglucose is to measure glycated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1c).
Most cases of type 1 diabetes begin withan immune system disorder, which causes destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Type 1 diabetes is treated primarily by insulin therapy, either with injections or with an insulin pump.
Type 2 diabetes usually begins after age 40. This is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for about 90% of the cases diagnosed in North America. Minorities such as Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and those from Pacific Islands are at particular risk.
There has been a substantial increase in type 2 diabetes in children, due to increase of children obesity.
Type 2 diabetes appears when the insulin receptors on the cell surfaces become insulin resistant. In this case, blood glucose is not readily transferred into cells, so the person develops high blood glucose as a result of the glucose remaining in the bloodstream.
Many cases of type 2 diabetes (about 80%) are associated with obesity, but high blood glucose is not directly caused by the obesity.
Type 2 diabetes linked to obesity often disappears if the obesity is corrected.
Photo credit: http://dailyinfographic.com/beating-diabetes-infographic
Photo credit: www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/statistics-infographic
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