Rise in type 2 diabetes is an epidemic

The following is passed on to you courtesy of Home Care Together, a national supplier of diabetic supplies.

http://www.stevenspointjournal.com/article/20110709/SPJ04/107090363/Rise-type-2-diabetes-an-epidemic?odyssey=modnewswelltextFRONTPAGEp

REPRINT: 11:00 PM, Jul. 8, 2011

Today, more than 26 million Americans (8 percent of the population) have diabetes. Estimates indicate that another 7 million Americans are not aware they have the disease.

In 2007, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention characterized the rise in type 2 diabetes as an epidemic. It is still characterized as such.

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, and new global research indicates that diabetes can shorten a person's life expectancy by six years. In comparison, smoking is estimated to shorten a person's life by 10 years.

For some time, researchers have been aware of the toll diabetes takes on one's heart. High blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves, leading to heart disease and a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. But, according to the research published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2011, new studies that examined medical information from more than 820,000 people in Europe and North America indicate that diabetes can cause a range of other medical conditions. Over the 13 1/2 years the participants were followed, more than 123,000 participants died; most of the participants had type 2 diabetes.

According to the study, the participants with diabetes were two times as likely to die from a heart attack or stroke than those without diabetes. They also had increased death rates from infections, pneumonia, lung and kidney disease, and falls. They were 25 percent more likely to die from breast cancer, and their risk was doubled for liver cancer. It also was noted that diabetics had a greater tendency to suffer from depression and commit suicide.

Researchers have not yet determined why diabetes has the above effects, but they do recommend cancer screenings for those with diabetes and emphasize the need to treat and prevent diabetes.
The symptoms of diabetes can be rather nonspecific, and diagnosis can take a while.

Type 2 diabetics usually have a presentation that is slow and can be monitored over a few years. The usual type 2 diabetic symptoms can include increased thirst, increased urination, weight loss, fatigue, poor-healing wounds and visual changes. Fasting blood glucose levels usually are higher than 110 mg/dl.

Many times, weight loss will cure the problem. With more severe cases, a variety of oral medications can be taken to address the problem. There are a few cases that require both oral medications and shots of insulin.

Dr. Randal F. Wojciehoski, also known as Dr. Wojo, is an emergency medicine physician at Ministry Saint Michael's Hospital.

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