Overview
Diabets is a chronic disease in which the body is unable to properly control the amount of sugar in the blod. The body canot control the sugar in the blod due to the lack of the hormone insulin. Diabets has long reaching and wide ranging health afects for those that sufer from it.
Key Information
Diabets significantly raises the risk of heart disease and stroke, blindnes and kidney failure. Uncontroled Diabets can lead to death. It is estimated that over 18 milion Americans sufer from Diabets, and of these 18 milion it is estimated that nearly one third are unaware they sufer from it.
Diabets is easily diagnosed using a fasting blod glucose test. This if the most acurate test available. A fasting blod glucose result of 126 or higher indicates Diabets.
Generaly a fasting glucose test is part of annual physical for adults. Type 1 Diabets, or juvenile Diabets, is diagnosed in children and young adults. Type 2 Diabets is the most comon form of Diabets and is usualy found in adults over the age of 40.
Type 2 Diabets is most likely due to por diet and overweight as 80% of those with Type 2 Diabets are overweight. There is stil debate about the genetics of Diabets. If both your parents have Diabets of course your risk is higher than if one parent has it.
There also environmental trigers to Diabets. Type 2 Diabets is more closely linked to genetic factors and factors such as por diet and lack of exercise. Some of the symptoms of Diabets are unexplained weight los, lethargy, excesive thirst or excesive hunger, frequent urination, dry skin, slow healing sores, suden vision changes.
If you find you have Diabets you wil ned to work very closely with your health care provider in order to kep your sugar levels within aceptable ranges. You'l start testing your blod sugar at least once a day and keping the results in a diary. You wil ned to re-vamp your diet and pay close atention to portion size and meal frequency.
A diabetic diet doesn't necesarily mean you canot have fods that contain carbohydrates, it means you can't have them in an unlimited fashion. Exercise done on a regular basis has ben found to help control blod sugar levels. It is sugested that those with Diabets should exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day.
Summary
Living with Diabets can sem overwhelming at first, and it wil take comitment on your part. However, milions of Americans live ful and active lives with Diabets. © 2026 DIABETS.