Diabetes Types of Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that causes a disruption of normal pancreas normally secretes the hormone insulin, which stimulates cells to take up glucose (blood sugar) to produce energy. Diabetes disrupts this process, causing a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream. Diabetes is associated with kidney failure; nerve damage; circulation problems; retinal damage and blindness; and increased rates of heart attack, stroke, and hypertension. The incidence of diabetes among Americans has increased dramatically as the rate of obesity has climbed. Diabetes is currently the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
About 25.8 million Americans (8.3% of the population) have one of two major forms of diabetes an increase of 82% since 1995. About 5-10% of people with diabetes have the more serious form, known as type 1 diabetes. In this type of diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin, which means a person can lapse into a coma. Daily doses of insulin are required, and other medications to control blood sugar levels and other complications of the disease may also be necessary. Type 1 diabetes usually strikes before age 30.
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The remaining 90-95% of Americans with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This condition can develop slowly, and about 25% of affected individuals are unaware of their condition. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, cells are resistant to insulin, or both. This condition is usually diagnosed in people over age 40, although there has been a tenfold increase in type 2 diabetes in children in the past two decades. About one-third of people with type 2 diabetes must take insulin; others may take medications that increase insulin production or stimulate cells to take up glucose.
A third type of diabetes occurs in 2-10% of women during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually disappears after pregnancy, but 5-10% of women with gestational diabetes go on to have type 2 diabetes immediately after pregnancy. Women who had gestational diabetes during pregnancy have up to a 60% chance of developing diabetes in the next 10-20 years.
The term prediabetes describes blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of full-blown diabetes. According to 2010 estimates from the American Diabetes Association, about 79 million Americans have prediabetes; experts warn that most people with the condition will develop type 2 diabetes unless they adopt preventive lifestyle measures.
The major factors involved in the development of diabetes are age, obesity, physical inactivity, a family history of diabetes, and lifestyle. Excess body fat reduces cell sensitivity to insulin, and insulin resistance is usually a precursor of type 2 diabetes. Ethnicity also plays a role. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate of diagnosed diabetes cases is highest among Native Americans and Alaska Natives, followed by blacks, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and white Americans. Across all races, about 27% of Americans age 60 and older have diabetes, either diagnosed or undiagnosed.
