Diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot produce insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone needed to convert sugars, starches and other food into energy that wee need for day to day activities. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), over 20.8 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, while another 6.2 million people don't even know that they have the disease.
Detecting Diabetes People are tested for diabetes through two types of tests: a fasting plasma glucose test (FPGT) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Both tests are used to determine whether or not a person is predisposed to Diabetes or if the person already has Diabetes. FPG tests that result in blood glucose levels of 126 mg or higher indicate that a person has diabetes. OGT tests that result in blood glucose levels of 200 mg or higher indicate that a person has diabetes.
Types of Diabetes There are several types of diabetes. The most commonly known ones are Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is less common among people and results from the body's failure to produce insulin. Most Americans are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which results from insulin resistance and deficiency. Another type of diabetes is gestational diabetes. This affects approximately 4% of all pregnant women. Usually, it develops when the woman is pregnant due to hormone changes, and after the baby is born, usually goes back to normal. Many people also have what is known as "pre-diabetes," which is a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are high but not necessarily high enough for that person to be diagnosed with diabetes.
Prevention If you are at risk for getting diabetes (either it runs in your family or you have pre-diabetes symptoms), then the best way to prevent yourself from being diagnosed is to monitor what you eat as well as stay active. Also, healthy lifestyle choices such as quitting smoking, increasing exercise and going for regular checkups can greatly reduce your chances of getting diabetes.
