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DIABETES - Do you know your glucose level?
by Letitia Holloway Owens

With the holiday season just around the corner and November being Diabetes Awareness month, it's only fitting that we look at diabetes and how it affects our community.

What is diabetes?

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Diabetes Mellitus is a condition in which the level of sugar, also called glucose, in the bloodstream is too high. Diabetes means that the body can't change sugar and starch into the energy needed for everyday activities. The pancreas, a gland located behind the stomach, normally makes a hormone called insulin. Insulin allows sugar to enter the cells of the body where it can be burned to supply energy and maintain life. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas makes little or no insulin.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

• strong thirst
• a frequent need to urinate
• blurry vision
• excessive tiredness

Types of Diabetes

• Type 1 Diabetes
• Most often, but not always seen in people who are 35 years of age or younger. Formerly called Juvenile Diabetes.
• The body stops making insulin completely within a year or two of diagnosis.
• People with type 1 diabetes need daily insulin shots along with diet and exercise to stay healthy.
• Accounts for 5%-10% of all diagnosed diabetes cases.

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Generally 40 years of age or older.
• Many are overweight or obese.
• The body is still able to make insulin but it either is not enough or it may not work properly.
• Some people can control their type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise. Others may need pills and eventually insulin shots.
• Accounts for 90%-95% of all diagnosed cases.

• Gestational Diabetes
• This form of diabetes develops during pregnancy.
• The chance of developing Type 2 diabetes after pregnancy for this group is 20%-50% in the next 5-10 years.

Some Staggering Statistics

• 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in 2005.
• It's estimated that 14.8 percent of African-Americans over 20 had diabetes in 2005 (NHANES, 1999-2002).
• Diabetes was the 6th leading cause of death in 2002 according to death certificates.
• Over 3 million (approximately 13 percent) African Americans age 20 and older have diabetes. 33% are undiagnosed.
• African Americans are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as Caucasians.

Diabetes and Heart Disease

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Diabetes can damage the large blood vessels that surround the heart and carry blood to all parts of the body. The damaged areas of the blood vessels tend to trap cholesterol from the blood. In time, the vessels become blacked and the heart has to work much harder to pump the blood through the clogged vessels. This can lead to a heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure or poor circulation to the body. Heart and blood vessel damage happens three times more often and at an earlier age in people with diabetes.

Prevention is the Key

To prevent or treat heart disease it is important to:

• Control blood sugar levels-Normal fasting glucose levels for a non-diabetic should be less than 100 mg/dl.
• Stop smoking
• Eat low-fat foods, exercise
• Control the blood pressure
• Maintain a good weight

Keeping your blood sugar near target

You can help to delay or prevent these long-term problems by keeping your blood sugar close to your target range. You can keep track of your blood sugar levels in two ways:

• You can check your own blood sugar regularly with a blood sugar meter. Many people check their blood sugar several times a day both before and after meals. Write down your blood sugar numbers. Look for patterns or changes and talk to your health care team.
• You can ask your health care provider to check your A1c levels at least twice a year. It's a blood sugar check "with a memory." It tells you your average blood sugar for the past two to three months. If your number is eight of higher, you may need a change in your diabetes treatment plan.

In short, control your ABC's:

• A1C - should be less than 7 percent
• Blood Pressure - should be less than 120/80 mmHg; check at each doctor's visit.
• Cholesterol Levels (LDL)- should be less than 100 mg/dL; check at least once a year.

For more information, be sure to visit:
American Diabetes Association - www.diabetes.org
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - www.cdc.gov/diabetes

Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. National Diabetes Statistics fact sheet: general information and national estimates on diabetes in the United States, 2005. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Health, 2005.

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