Diabetes is a chronic lifelong condition that affects how your food is converted to energy. The carbohydrates in the food we eat are converted into sugar by our bodies and released in our bloodstream. The body then signals the pancreas to produce insulin to let the body’s cells to use the sugar as energy.
With diabetes, the body is either not able to produce insulin or cannot utilise the sugar due to insulin-resistance of the cells. Excess sugar over time can cause chronic issues such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney problems.
Types of diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is when the body doesn’t produce any insulin, approximately 5 -10 % of diabetes patients are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, injectable insulin is required every day for survival. Currently, there is no cure for Type 1 diabetes and injecting insulin is the only treatment method.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is when the body does not produce enough insulin or doesn’t process the sugars due to insulin resistance in our body causing a rise in blood sugar levels. Usually, 90-95% of people have Type 2 diabetes. Blood sugar levels can be maintained with healthy lifestyle changes such as regular exercising, weight loss, and healthy eating.
Gestational diabetes – this occurs during pregnancy in expectant mothers.
Prediabetes
This is a condition that ails 1 in every 3rd American which accounts for almost 88 million adults. Prediabetes is a condition where your sugar levels are higher than usual but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes raises the risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The diabetes rate in America
According to American Diabetes Association, in 2018 almost 34.2 million Americans or 10.55% of the population had diabetes. Almost 1.6 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes which included about 187,000 children and adolescents. It is estimated that out of the 34.2 million adults with diabetes, 26.8 million are diagnosed, and 7.3 million are undiagnosed.
Almost 26.8% or 14.3 million seniors above the age of 65 have diabetes and 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States in 2017.