Medical News
Don’t Be a Statistic: Preventing Diabetes
An estimated 86 million Americans suffer from prediabetes. To prevent the onset of diabetes, which can cause kidney damage and blindness if left untreated, medical experts recommend losing weight through a healthier diet and increased exercise. Click here to view article.
The numbers are staggering. An estimated 29 million Americans are diabetic, and an additional 86 million suffer from prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Half of all seniors over the age of 65 suffer from prediabetes, which means that blood-glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. People with prediabetes are at an increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes and for heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes is something to take seriously, because, if left untreated, diabetics can suffer from kidney damage, blindness, hearing impairment, amputation, stroke and heart disease. The good news is that, because so many Americans either have the disease or are at risk for it, research and government programs are eager to find solutions and offer support. One of the most effective prevention methods is a CDC program that offers weekly group sessions.
In the 1990s, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a large national clinical trial among 1,000 overweight adults at risk for Type 2 diabetes. After three years of the program aimed at changing lifestyle habits (particularly, exercise and diet) and promoting weight loss, participants lowered their risk of diabetes by 58 percent. Even more significant, those aged 60 and older had a 71 percent reduced risk. In comparison, a group that received Metformin, a drug commonly used to treat Type 2 diabetes, dropped its risk by 31 percent. However, after 10 years, people who continued with lifestyle changes delayed diabetes by about four years while those who took Metformin postponed the disease by about two years. A control group received only standard advice and an inactive placebo pill.
In response to these heartening results, the CDC started the National Diabetes Prevention Program in 2012, which is now offered around the country through different organizations, including health-care providers, community groups, employers, colleges and churches. The curriculum involves 16 weekly sessions and monthly follow-ups for a year. The goal is significant weight loss, by getting people to adopt new eating and exercise habits that will stick. Peer pressure, or group support, doesn’t hurt.
Causes of Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes, commonly called adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes. Because Type 1 develops most often in young people, it is referred to as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes.
Type 2 usually begins with insulin resistance—a condition that occurs when fat, muscle and liver cells do not effectively utilize insulin to carry glucose into the body’s cells to use for energy. Glucose (often called blood sugar) comes from the food we eat and what’s produced in our liver and muscles. As a result of insulin resistance, the body needs more insulin to help glucose enter cells. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by making more insulin. Over time, the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin when blood-sugar levels increase, such as after meals, leading to persistently high blood-glucose levels that damage nerves and blood vessels.
Because the leading risk factor for diabetes is obesity, the best thing you can do to prevent diabetes is to lose weight—through eating less or eating healthier foods, by exercising, or preferably, both. The Diabetes Prevention Program research study showed that making even modest behavior changes helped participants lose 5 to 7 percent of their body weight—that is 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person (from the CDC).
Change Your Diet
Taking steps to lose weight can include eating smaller meal portions and choosing healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables. At the same time, consume fewer high-fat foods. The National Education Diabetes Program) advises:
- Choose whole-grain foods such as whole-wheat bread, crackers, cereals, brown rice, oatmeal and barley.
- Eat a mix of colorful fruits and vegetables.
- Choose fish, lean meat and chicken and turkey without the skin.
- Eat foods that have been baked, broiled or grilled instead of fried.
- Drink water instead of juice and regular soda.
- Choose low-fat or skim milk, yogurt and cheese.
At the same time, reduce portion sizes by filling half of your plate or using smaller plates, and eating only half of what you order at a restaurant and taking the rest home (restaurant portions are notorious for being huge). Enjoy your dessert but in smaller amounts and less frequently. Portion control will help with weight loss.
One healthy dessert option is yogurt. A new study shows regular consumption of this dairy product reduces the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health followed more than 40,000 men and 150,000 women for one to two decades to evaluate the association between dairy consumption and the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in adults (Medline Plus).
The data showed that total dairy consumption was not correlated with Type 2 diabetes risk, and yogurt intake was consistently associated with a lower risk of developing the disease. After incorporating their findings into a larger analysis, the researchers determined that one serving of yogurt per day led to an 18 percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Getting More Exercise
Moving more and sitting less can help you lose weight or stay at a healthy weight. Activity can reduce your risk for Type 2 diabetes because it helps make your cells receptive to insulin. The National Education Diabetes Program recommends adding more activity each day until you reach at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Brisk walking—faster than your normal pace—is a good way to get started; other exercises include strength training and aerobic movements.
Two other risk factors for diabetes are sleep and stress. Poor-quality sleep and chronic sleep deprivation can contribute to both obesity and the onset of diabetes. You should get six to eight hours of sleep a night. Stress releases a variety of hormones into the body that can increase your blood sugar, so it’s important to find relaxing activities, such as mindfulness meditation or listening to music. Exercise also greatly reduces stress.
Sources
“7 Best Ways to Beat Diabetes,” October/November 2014, AARP The Magazine
“Diabetes and Dairy,” Nov. 26, 2014, Medline Plus
“Diabetes Prevention That Works,” Dec. 26, 2014, New Old Age blog
“It’s Not Too Late to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes,” National Education Diabetes Program
“Preventing Type 2 Diabetes,” November 2014, NIH News in Health
“Diabetes in Older People—A Disease You Can Manage,” National Institute on Aging
“What You May Not Know About Diabetes: Prevention Tips for Seniors,” Nov. 13, 2014, Griswold Home Care
“What Is Diabetes?” NIH Senior Health
Warning signs of diabetes
Although some people with diabetes have no symptoms at all, especially early in the disease, many experience one or more symptoms, including:
- Extreme thirst or hunger
- Frequent need to urinate
- Fatigue
- Losing weight without trying
- Sores that heal slowly
- Dry, itchy skin
- Loss of feeling or tingling in the feet and blurry eyesight
Doctors can use several blood tests to help diagnose diabetes:
- Random glucose test—given at any time during the day
- Fasting glucose test—taken after you have gone without food for at least eight hours
- Oral glucose tolerance test—taken after fasting overnight and then two hours after having a sugary drink
- A1c blood test—shows your glucose level for the past two to three months
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