Avoiding the diabetes dilemma

  • By Shelly Webb of The Holmes County Journal
  • December 24, 2009
  • 698
                        
According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate of new cases of diagnosed diabetes has risen by more than 90 percent among adults during the last 10 years. A 90 percent increase in a specific disease is reason for everyone to be concerned. Karen Kirtland, Ph.D., with the CDC, said this major increase only proves that prevention must be promoted and more public awareness is needed. “This dramatic increase in the number of people with diabetes highlights the increasing burden of diabetes across the country,” Kirtland stated. “This study demonstrates that we must continue to promote effective diabetes prevention efforts that include lifestyle interventions for people at risk for diabetes. Changes such as weight loss combined with moderate physical activity are important steps that individuals can take to reduce their risk for developing diabetes.” The study showed Minnesota as the state with the least number of new cases of diabetes, with West Virginia having the most new cases diagnosed. Southern states had a much higher incidence of newly diagnosed cases overall. Diet and exercise are two major factors when looking at diabetes and the geographical areas where the disease is more prevalent. “This report documents the geographic distribution of new cases of diabetes and is consistent with previous studies showing an increase in new diabetes cases,” Kirtland said. “We must step up efforts to prevent and control diabetes, particularly in the Southern U.S. region where we see higher rates of diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity.” Even though Ohio is not a southern state, the Ohio Department of Health said that 11 percent of the population has diabetes, compared to the national rate of eight percent. The department estimated that an additional 30,000 Appalachian Ohio residents may have diabetes but are unaware of it. A local physician, Dr. Eric Miller, said one main reason adult diabetes is on the rise is due to the obesity rates among the U.S. population. “Although Type 2 diabetes (adult onset diabetes) is very much a hereditary disease, it is on the rise simply because we are becoming more overweight and obese,” Miller explained. “And even though we always referred to Type 2 diabetes as ‘adult onset’, the truth is kids are now developing this disease as well. So what do you do to help prevent it? Since you can’t change your genes, the answer is very simple-- stay thin.” Miller said that ideally one does not wait until they have symptoms of diabetes to actually diagnose it. “If you wait for symptoms to develop, you likely have already had diabetes for five or more years,” he said. “By then, the disease will have a good head start on damaging your body. So if you are over 45 years old and have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or have a family history of diabetes, you should be getting screened at least every few years for diabetes.” Although an early diagnosis is the best scenario, if an individual does develop symptoms, such as excessive thirst and urination, blurry vision, numbness of feet, frequent infections, and fatigue, they should be concerned. “Those are early symptoms, but the list of the long-term effects of diabetes is long and not pretty,” Miller added. “Diabetes effects pretty much every single organ in the body. The ones that are most notable are the heart, brain, kidneys, eyes, and nerves, which increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, and nerve pain respectively.” Miller is not a bit surprised that all studies show the best way to control diabetes is by changing your lifestyle. He said that exercise – both cardiovascular and weight training – not only helps you lose weight, but independently helps control diabetes even if you do not lose weight in the process. “Although sugar is not healthy for any of us, losing weight and exercising are even more important than avoiding sugar if you are a newly diagnosed diabetic,” Miller said. “Avoiding sugar may treat the symptom of high sugar, but it is the weight loss and exercise that actually treats the disease.” In addition to lifestyle changes there are also medications that can help treat diabetes. However, the medicines are not as helpful as the lifestyle changes. “Lifestyle changes are one of the best ways to impact diabetes,” Miller said. “Studies also show us that treating diabetes with medication quickly, even when it’s just ‘pre’-diabetes, helps delay its onset; so early diagnosis is very important.” Miller also said that since Type 2 diabetes is such a common and deadly disease, the medical community is putting a lot of research into preventing and curing it. “They are coming up with better medicines and even a surgical procedure that may actually ward off diabetes,” he shared. “At this point though, I would rely on the basic common sense approach of leading a healthy lifestyle and keeping that weight off.” Diabetes is a serious condition. It puts you at a greater risk for heart disease and stroke. Diabetes is also blamed for 24,000 new cases of blindness every year, making it the leading cause of blindness among adults age 20-74. It is also the leading cause of kidney failure and accounts for 44 percent of new cases annually. A yearly health checkup and losing weight can help you prevent or manage diabetes. Have regular blood tests and keep in close contact with your physician so any problems can be detected early. Don’t wait until your body develops symptoms to take that important first step.


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