Diabetes: The New Epidemic
"Statistically, patients may have diabetes for five years before they are diagnosed. Many years can go by without the patient having any symptoms. Meanwhile, complications of the diabetes can occur. If there is a family history or the patient is overweight, they should be checked." -
Dr. Jordan Sennett, endocrinologist with Advanced Healthcare.
In the spring of 2002, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson warned millions of Americans they were at risk of a condition called "pre-diabetes." Studies supported by the HHS indicate that, without some modest changes to diet and physical activity, nearly 16 million people in the U.S. will develop diabetes within a decade, adding to the 17 million Americans already diagnosed with the disease.
Risk factors that increase chances of developing type 2 diabetes
• Excess weight
• Family history of diabetes
• Inactivity
• Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans and Native Americans
Read more about risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms of diabetes
• Excessive thirst
• Increased hunger
• Excessive urination
• Blurred vision
• Unintended weight loss
• Tingling or numbness in extremities
• Slow-healing sores
• Dry, itchy skin
Many people with diabetes have none of these symptoms. Meanwhile, the devastating effects of diabetes are taking their toll. Read more about symptoms of diabetes.
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What is diabetes and who should be concerned about developing it?
Diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas' ability to produce insulin or the body's ability to respond to insulin is impaired. Without insulin, a hormone crucial to converting food to energy, glucose (sugar) from food cannot enter cells. As it begins to build up in the blood, body tissues become starved for energy.
Diabetes is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S. Its long-term complications can be serious and debilitating. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, adult blindness and non-traumatic amputations. It is also a major cause of heart disease and stroke.
As many as 95 percent of all diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes. More than one of every 12 Americans ages 20 and older and one in five senior citizens have type 2 diabetes. Generally, African-Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics are at greater risk of developing the condition. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in teens and children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
For this reason, it is advisable for people who are at risk to be monitored for the possibility of developing diabetes. A panel of experts convened by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the HHS recommends physicians begin screening overweight people age 45 and older for pre-diabetes.
Dr. Jordan Sennett, an endocrinologist with Advanced Healthcare, confirms the benefits of such precautionary steps.
"Statistically, patients may have diabetes for five years before they are diagnosed," Dr. Sennett said. "Many years can go by without the patient having any symptoms. Meanwhile, complications of the diabetes can occur. If there is a family history or the patient is overweight, they should be checked."
