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Diabetes: What You Should Know

© Mary M. Alward

The dictionary definition of diabetes is: "a disease characterized by excessive urination. Diabetes mellitus is caused by insufficient insulin production or lack of responsiveness to insulin, resulting in hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels)."

According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, more than two million Canadians suffer from diabetes. In Ontario 6% of the population have the disease. Diabetes accounts for 32% of heart attack victims, 43 % of heart failure cases, 51% of new dialysis patients and 70% of amputations in that province. The number of people living with diabetes rose 31% between 1995 and 1999. The official cause of death for 41, 483 Canadians in 1999 - 2000 was diabetes. The disease is increasing in epidemic proportions, not only in Canada, but around the world. The incident of juvenile diabetes is also reaching epidemic proportions. The reason for this is that today's children spend far too much time in front of tv's, computers and video games. Kids no longer play outside like they once did and with the combination of junk food and lack of exercise, their future looks bleak. Obesity in children is on the rise. This can cause the onset of diabetes as well as other health problems.

The website of the Canadian Diabetes Association states, "despite the serious nature of diabetes complications and their effect on quality of life, physicians are not treating their patient's diabetes as aggressively as is warranted." Dr. Stewart Harris says, "nearly 49% of diabetes patients are not at their target sugar levels." This is frightening.

If blood sugar levels are elevated for long periods of time, it damages the body's large and small blood vessels. This leads to kidney disease, heart disease, eye disease or blindness and nerve damage.

There are three types of diabetes. Type I is when the body makes little or no insulin. At one time this was called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes. The cause of Type I diabetes is unknown. Nothing you can do will prevent this type of diabetes.

Type II diabetes occurs when your body doesn't produce enough insulin or when your body doesn't use it properly. Insulin is produced by the pancreas. Starches are converted into sugar by our bodies. Rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and fruit provide us with energy. The insulin our bodies produce help blood cells to absorb the sugar. If you have Type II diabetes, the cells cannot absorb the sugar. It stays in the blood.

Many people don't understand how they get Type II diabetes. It is hereditary, so if Grandma Jones or your Mom or Dad had it, you are definitely at risk. Other factors are being obese or overweight; being over forty or having high glucose levels during pregnancy(Gestational Diabetes.) You should be tested for diabetes if you are of Asian, Hispanic, Aboriginal, African or South Asian descent, are over forty, have given birth to a baby that weighed over nine pounds or are obese or overweight. Diabetes can strike at any time and often goes undiagnosed for years.

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