Diabetes is one of the most common health conditions around the world and in the United States.
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Ongoing research in recent years has improved diagnosis, treatment, and knowledge about type 2 diabetes, allowing for better prevention and management.
We’ve partnered with Stelo by Dexcom to bring you this article covering six things everyone should know about type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition that occurs when your body has difficulty managing its blood sugar levels. It’s due to the body’s inability to use insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar.
If your body can’t use insulin to metabolize glucose, a simple sugar, it will build up in your blood, leading to high blood sugar levels. As a result of cellular resistance, the various cells in your body won’t get the energy they need to function properly, causing further problems.
Diabetes is a chronic condition. Currently, there’s no cure, so it takes careful management and sometimes medication to keep blood sugar levels within their target range.
Worldwide, the mortality rate due to diabetes rose by 3% between 2000 and 2019,
Even more concerning is that type 2 diabetes was once only seen in adults but is now more and more commonly diagnosed in young adults as well.
Many cases of type 2 diabetes are undiagnosed because of a lack of symptoms or because people don’t recognize them as diabetes symptoms.
Causes of symptoms such as fatigue, increased hunger, and increased thirst are sometimes hard to pin down and often develop over a long period of time, if at all. For this reason, it’s especially important to get tested.
Anyone 35 or older should get screened for diabetes. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases even has a free
The pros of monitoring glucose
If you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes, monitoring your glucose levels may help you spot early warning signs and take action before you develop serious health issues.
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If left undiagnosed and untreated for too long, type 2 diabetes can lead to life threatening complications. The same is true for people whose diabetes is not managed properly.
Maintaining a close watch on blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and blood pressure is extremely important in lowering these risks. Early detection and treatment, a healthy lifestyle, and regular checkups are key.
It’s not completely understood why diabetes occurs in certain people and not others, but research shows that some groups
The following are potential risk factors for type 2 diabetes:
- being inactive, exercising less than three times a week
- a family history of diabetes, with a parent or sibling who has the condition
- a history of gestational diabetes
- a history of prediabetes
- a history of insulin resistance, such as those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- being Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
- being 45 or older
- having high triglyceride levels
- having low HDL cholesterol levels
- having high blood pressure
One of the most important things you can do to manage type 2 diabetes and live a full life is to eat well and exercise regularly. Because experts know definitively that certain factors increase the risk, they also know that there’s a good chance you can prevent it or at least delay the onset.
Some basic things you can do to help prevent or manage type 2 diabetes include:
- Do 30 minutes of regular, moderately intense physical activity daily or vigorous exercise 3 days a week.
- Limit sugared drinks and saturated fats in your diet. Add more fruits and veggies, and remove processed foods.
- Avoid tobacco use, which increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
- Regularly check your blood sugar if you’ve been diagnosed, and maintain proper foot, kidney, blood vessel, and eye care to prevent complications.
If you’re struggling with changing up your eating habits, here’s a tip from Vadym Graifer, author of “The Time Machine Diet,” a book that details Graifer’s personal journey with type 2 diabetes:
“Watch out for added sugar. It’s creeping in our diet from everywhere. A majority of processed foods contain it; if it’s in the box, it’s likely to contain sugar. No matter how busy your life is, find the way to prepare and eat real food instead of artificial concoctions overloaded with flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers, and, as the popular saying goes, anything your grandma wouldn’t recognize as food.”
Experts also say it’s vital to remember that while your doctor may prescribe medication to help you manage diabetes, you shouldn’t make the mistake of assuming that a pill can fix everything.
“People think that because their doctor gave them a medication to control their blood sugar that they no longer have diabetes. This is false,” says integrative podiatrist Dr. Suzanne Fuchs, DPM. “These patients often feel as though they can take the medication and not watch what they eat or exercise.”
Foram Mehta is a San Francisco-based journalist by way of New York City and Texas. She has a bachelor’s of journalism from The University of Texas at Austin and has had her work published in Marie Claire, on India.com, and Medical News Today, among other publications. As a passionate vegan, environmentalist, and animal rights advocate, Foram hopes to continue using the power of the written word to promote health education and help everyday people live better, fuller lives on a healthier planet.