|
Type II
Diabetes cases in the United States are
skyrocketing. Already, Type II diabetes (or
adult onset diabetes) ranks as either the fourth
or fifth highest killer of people in the
country, and it’s quickly making its way even
closer to the top.
From 1997-2002, the direct costs of treating
diabetes doubled. That’s right, just five years
for the direct costs to double in the U.S.
And the number of Americans who are on the verge
of getting diabetes is also growing at an
alarming rate, with over
40 million American
adults currently classified as pre-diabetic.
Most of those will soon present with full-blown
Type II Diabetes if nothing is done to treat
their problem.
So what is diabetes, and how can it be avoided?
Type II Diabetes is a condition where the cells
are not able to take in energy from glucose.
This inability of the cells to take up energy is
called "insulin resistance". (Type I Diabetes, in which the pancreas cannot
make enough insulin for even non-resistant
cells, will not be covered in this article.)
After a meal, our digestive tract turns food
into something usable by the cells for energy,
either glucose (a sugar) or fat. The glucose and
fat are released into the bloodstream for
efficient delivery to the cells throughout the
body.
This raises the blood sugar level, as well as
the blood lipid level, but we won’t touch on the
lipids in this article.
When the pancreas senses a rise in the blood
sugar level, it releases insulin into the
bloodstream. Insulin is designed to open up the
cells so that they can uptake the glucose. When
all is working properly with this process,
glucose is taken into the cells and the blood
sugar falls back to a normal level.
However, cells can become insulin resistant,
meaning that the insulin doesn't have the normal
effect on the cells.
When this happens, glucose isn’t easily
delivered to the cells. The pancreas, detecting
that the blood sugar levels are not going down,
will pump out even more insulin.
The pancreas is usually able to do this job
quite well. Over time, though, the cells can
become more resistant, and the pancreas can
become overburdened. When this occurs, it
becomes impossible for the body to get enough
blood sugar out of the blood and into the cells,
and the crucial threshold for Diabetes is
passed.
Now that you know what diabetes is, it’s
important to know whether you are at risk for
getting it. You can “see” one symptom, while the
others need to be checked by a doctor. If you do
see this one symptom, it’s imperative that you
do get checked out by a doctor as soon as
possible.
And what is this symptom that you can see? Just
look down at your stomach. Yes, the number one
thing to look for with diabetes is whether or
not you are overweight.
Obesity is highly
correlated with diabetes. You should be
especially concerned if the fat is concentrated
in your midsection, as this is a prime indicator
that your sugar metabolism is out of whack. (Of
course, it is also possible to be diabetic
without being overweight, though it is far more
rare.)
In addition to being overweight, there are a
number of other factors that can put you at risk
for becoming diabetic. Together, these
conditions are known as metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic Syndrome is defined as having three or
more of the following five conditions:
1. High waist circumference (abdominal fat).
2. High fasting glucose levels (over 100 mg/dL).
3. High blood pressure (130/85 mm Hg or higher).
4. High triglycerides (150 mg/dL or higher).
5. Low “good” cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL
HDL for men and 50 mg/dL HDL for women).
Like I mentioned, you need to have four of the
five checked by a doctor.
As far as the five symptoms of metabolic
syndrome are concerned, the most important for
diabetes seems to be the fasting blood glucose
levels. Diabetes officially “begins” when a
fasting glucose reading goes above 126 mg/dL.
(This was just revised downward from 140 mg/dL,
instantly putting millions into the diabetic
category.) However, people who have measurements
of over 100 mg/dL are usually on a slippery
slope into diabetic range.
We now know what diabetes is and how it is
diagnosed, but in order to prevent it, we also
need to know what causes it. The two biggest
causes of diabetes are a poor diet and a lack of
physical activity. Obesity is a prime indicator
that diabetes is on the horizon. In many cases,
there is a also genetic component. However, this
genetic predisposition is usually only expressed
when poor dietary and exercise habits are
allowed to continue for years.
A diet that would lead to diabetes could be
described as one that is high in simple sugars
(empty calories) and saturated fats—in other
words, the typical American fast food diet.
If hot dogs or fatty hamburgers on highly
processed white bread buns are part of your
regular diet, or if you consider ice cream or
milk shakes a major food group to be included in
every meal, you may very well be injuring your
body’s ability to turn food into energy for your
cells.
Ordering those foods to be delivered instead of
walking down the street to get them could be
another danger sign. Exercise signals to your
cells that energy is needed right away, and the
cells are more responsive to insulin during and
after exercise, making sure that glucose can
enter them to provide energy. The effect of this
higher insulin sensitivity can last for up to 24
hours, making daily physical activity an
important protective factor against diabetes.
When a person is sedentary, this regular
increase in insulin sensitivity is underused,
and the pathways may atrophy from lack of use.
Remember, our ancestors, and even our relatives
from just 100 years ago, were engaged in
vigorous physical activity nearly every single
day of their lives.
All agencies that monitor the causes and
prevention of diabetes recommend prevention
through a healthy diet and exercise program that
promotes weight loss. Even in severely obese
people, a 10% decrease in weight can make a big
difference for preventing diabetes.
Even though exercise and a healthy diet are the
recommended prevention measures, few monitoring
agencies, doctors, and specialists spell out
exactly what this means to someone who is at
risk. (Many times, there is an assumption that
people know exactly what to do, they just don’t
do it.)
 The
Heart Rate Health Program,
available on this site through this link, is a program that is
designed in part to help prevent and even
reverse the symptoms of pre-diabetes and type II
diabetes. It provides a precise exercise program
that will help you lose weight, feel better, and
improve insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular
health.
Many people following the Heart
Rate Health Program report:
- easy weight loss;
- a reduction in cravings for high fat and
sugary foods;
- a reduction in food binging;
- an reduction in depressive feelings that can
lead to binging;
- a reduction in stress;
- and an increase in energy that makes sticking
to the program easy and fun.
In addition to diet and exercise, a doctor
may prescribe drugs to help prevent the ravages
of high blood sugar. Multiple classes of
diabetes drugs are available, with a few of the
major ones being listed below. A good source of
information on drug treatments for diabetes can
be found by
clicking here.
INSULIN: If the pancreas is not producing enough
insulin, or if cells are resistant to it, it
makes sense to add more insulin into the
bloodstream. Many brands of insulin are
available. Patients taking insulin must monitor
their blood sugar throughout each day, as
insulin can push too much sugar out of the
system, causing a dangerous hypoglycemic
condition that must be treated immediately to
avoid permanent injury or death. Allergic
reactions to insulin treatment are also
possible.
BIGUANIDE: These drugs, which are widely used
in the treatment of diabetes, help diabetes by
reducing the amount of glucose that is made in
the liver. Since your blood sugar will be lower,
the amount of insulin in the body will also
decrease. Major brands include Glucophage and
Metformin. Dizziness and diarrhea are often
reported during the first few weeks of taking
biguanides. There may also be a metallic taste
in the mouth.
SULFONYLUREA: Instead of the direct injection of
insulin, drugs in this class induce the pancreas
to make more insulin. Many brands are available,
and good information about the side effects of
this drug class can be found by
clicking here.
THIAZOLIDINEDIONE: These drugs make the cells
respond better to insulin. Two primary brands
include Actos and Avandia. People with liver
damage or disease should not take these drugs,
and patients must be monitored closely for liver
damage while taking thiazolidinediones.
In addition to medicinal treatments for
diabetes, a crop of supplements have popped up
that claim to do the same thing without harsh
drugs. To read my take on these
supplements, please follow this
diabetes
supplements link.
|
