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An estimated 18.2 million people in the United
States—6.3 percent of the population—have diabetes, a serious,
lifelong condition. Of those, 13 million have been diagnosed, and
about 5.2 million people have not yet been diagnosed. Each year,
about 1.3 million people aged 20 or older are diagnosed with
diabetes.
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What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism—the way our
bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we
eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood.
Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body.
After digestion, glucose passes into the
bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For
glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a
hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.
When we eat, the pancreas automatically produces
the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into our
cells. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either
produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond
appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in
the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body.
Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood
contains large amounts of glucose
What are the types of diabetes?
The three main types of diabetes are
- type 1 diabetes
- type 2 diabetes
- gestational diabetes
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Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An
autoimmune disease results when the body's system for fighting
infection (the immune system) turns against a part of the body. In
diabetes, the immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells
in the pancreas and destroys them. The pancreas then produces little
or no insulin. A person who has type 1 diabetes must take insulin
daily to live.
At present, scientists do not know exactly what
causes the body's immune system to attack the beta cells, but they
believe that autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors,
possibly viruses, are involved. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5
to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States. It
develops most often in children and young adults, but can appear at
any age.
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Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop over a
short period, although beta cell destruction can begin years
earlier. Symptoms include increased thirst and urination, constant
hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue. If not
diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person with type 1 diabetes
can lapse into a life-threatening diabetic coma, also known as
diabetic ketoacidosis.
Type 2 Diabetes
The most common form of diabetes is type 2
diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type
2. This form of diabetes is associated with older age, obesity,
family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational
diabetes, physical inactivity, and ethnicity. About 80 percent of
people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in
children and adolescents. However, nationally representative data on
prevalence of type 2 diabetes in youth are not available.
When type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the pancreas is
usually producing enough insulin, but for unknown reasons, the body
cannot use the insulin effectively, a condition called insulin
resistance. After several years, insulin production decreases. The
result is the same as for type 1 diabetes—glucose builds up in the
blood and the body cannot make efficient use of its main source of
fuel.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually.
Their onset is not as sudden as in type 1 diabetes. Symptoms may
include fatigue or nausea, frequent urination, unusual thirst,
weight loss, blurred vision, frequent infections, and slow healing
of wounds or sores. Some people have no symptoms.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes develops only during
pregnancy. Like type 2 diabetes, it occurs more often in African
Americans, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, and among women
with a family history of diabetes. Women who have had gestational
diabetes have a 20 to 50 percent chance of developing type 2
diabetes within 5 to 10 years.
What are the scope and impact of diabetes?
Diabetes is widely recognized as one of the
leading causes of death and disability in the United States. In
2000, it was the sixth leading cause of death. However, diabetes is
likely to be underreported as the underlying cause of death on death
certificates. About 65 percent of deaths among those with diabetes
are attributed to heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes is associated with long-term
complications that affect almost every part of the body. The disease
often leads to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke,
kidney failure, amputations, and nerve damage. Uncontrolled diabetes
can complicate pregnancy, and birth defects are more common in
babies born to women with diabetes. For additional details click to
Complications of Diabetes - an FDA paper
In 2002, diabetes cost the United States $132
billion. Indirect costs, including disability payments, time lost
from work, and premature death, totaled $40 billion; direct medical
costs for diabetes care, including hospitalizations, medical care,
and treatment supplies, totaled $92 billion.
Links to Other Sites:
American
Diabetes Association
CDC's
Diabetes Public Health Resource (National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
National
Diabetes Education Program
National
Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Diabetes Health News:
Diabetes Health Information
Surgery for shows promise for treating
diabetes
Pancreatic cells injected into liver of man
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Complications of Diabetes
Symlin approved by FDA
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