Nutrition

What You Need To Know About Diabetes

We are experiencing a pandemic of type 2 diabetes, due in large part to lack of activity and too much food. One hundred years ago, your great, great, great, great grandmother or grandfather did not have the many conveniences we have today (remote controls, cars, computers, etc.) They were more active in their day to day activities. The first automobile was sold in this country in 1898. We've been sitting more ever since. They also didn't have so much food available for so cheap and in such large portions. Read our short overview of diabetes, the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, who gets diabetes and why, and what it can do to your health. Gestational diabetes and how you can prevent diabetes are also reviewed.

1. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes: family history of diabetes, overweight, ethnicity,
over 40 years of age, history of gestational diabetes, history of macrosomia or delivering a large baby (equal to or over 8 ½ pounds), history of miscarriage or stillbirth, and polycystic ovary syndrome.

2. Type 2 diabetes usually occurs after 40 years of age. Insulin is produced by the
body, but pills or insulin injections may be needed to control blood glucose (BG).
About 95% of persons with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. The number of persons
diagnosed is increasing due to obesity and inactivity (especially in children).

3. Type 1 diabetes is rare, only about 5% of persons with diabetes have type 1
diabetes. The individual is younger. It is an auto-immune disease, and the pancreas no longer produces enough insulin. Insulin injections or the pump is required.

4. Having type 1 or type 2 diabetes for a long time can lead to complications of the heart, eye, kidneys, or nerves. Diabetes is expensive, and having diabetes for 10-20 years may require 8-10 medications costing $100-500/month out of pocket.

5. You can prevent type 2 diabetes!
Don’t gain weight (lose weight?) and exercise at least 30-60 minutes most days. Park the car farther, take the stairs, clean your house, or pull weeds—any activity, even if just for 5-10 minutes a day, can help reduce your risk.

6. Risk factors for gestational diabetes (GDM) are the same as for type 2 diabetes.
GDM usually occurs in the 7th month of pregnancy and disappears after delivery.
However, 50-60% of these mothers will go on to develop type 2 diabetes in 5-20
years. Requiring insulin injections during pregnancy increases this risk.

7. Mothers who have had GDM need to have their BG checked 6 weeks postpartum and every year thereafter. BG needs to be normal prior to pregnancy. If you are diagnosed with diabetes and plan to get pregnant, ask your physician what medication is safe for you to take. Plan all future pregnancies!

8. Risks to the baby of a GDM pregnancy include macrosomia or large birth weight
(? 8 ½ pounds), injury at birth due to large birth weight, premature delivery with
complications due to large size, and hypoglycemia. These conditions are related to
poor BG control.

2005 Eastern Virginia Medical School-The Strelitz Diabetes Institutes/Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
All Rights Reserved.