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What You Need to Know About Diabetes
Newsletter:
Edward P. Hernandez, O.D.
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Diabetes:
what you need to know and "do"
As
an optometrist, I have increasingly become aware of the prevalence
diabetes presents in our society. In fact, as high as 50% of our
patients have fell victim to this disease. As a consequence, this
problem has become of great concern to me. Also, I am especially
concerned about the impact this disease is having on the Hispanic
community. This newsletter is dedicated solely to assisting in
providing (a) a better understanding of diabetes, (b) what can
be done to combat it, and (c) what your optometrist can do to
help. In short, it is time to address this issue; it is time to
FIGHT BACK!
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Is
Diabetes an Epidemic?
In the medical profession, many doctors and researchers have stated
that diabetes is rising to epidemic levels. They are also referring
to Type II diabetes as a "civilization" disease (Total Health,
2001). Some examples of health issues that are related to diabetes
are high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and kidney malfunction.
Therefore, diabetes if not treated properly, can become a whole body
disease.
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Diabetes and your eyes
• A startling statistic: At
least one American loses his or her vision every hour due to
diabetes and yet still up to 50% of diabetics do not receive
regular eye care.
• In 2002, the National Board
of Diabetes Education recognized Optometry as a health profession
that is able to qualify licensed optometrists for the Certified
Diabetics Educator Certificate. The certificate provides formal
recognition of specialty practice and knowledge in diabetes
at a mastery level.
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With Regular (annual) eye care, your optometrist can better
detect and manage the risks diabetes presents to visual and
other health areas.
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Diabetes
and Society
According to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and
Kidney Diseases and the American Diabetes Association, diabetes
affects an estimated 15.7 million people in the United States and
90 to 90% of them have type 2 diabetes. Of this, 10.3 million have
been diagnosed, but 5.4 million are unaware they have the disease.
Those affected include:
• 8.1 million women
• 7.5 million children
• 123,000 children under age 20
• 6.4 million adults over 65 (18.4%
of the US population)
• 1.2 million Mexican American
(10.6% of all Mexican American)
Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in 1996, and the
sixth leading cause of death from disease.
People
whom are more susceptible to the disease include: Hispanics, African-Americans,
Asians, and Native Americans. There is a higher incidence of diabetes
among Native Americans, especially Native Americans from the Southwest)
and Hispanic Americans, than among the population in general.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is
a lifelong disorder in which your body:
• Does not use food properly for
energy
• Changes most foods into glucose
(sugar)
• Does not produce enough insulin
or is unable to use what it does produce properly
Typical Symtoms
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Two Types
Diabetes has been classified into two types with specific characteristics
for each one. The first type is called Juvenile Diabetes. It is
also referred to as Type I diabetes. This type of diabetes is considered
the more serious of the two types. In this case, your body does
not make enough (or any) insulin. This occurs most often in people
under the age of 30. One theory for its causes has been traced to
infants who are fed cow’s milk in the first three months of
life (Total Health, 2001). Although Type I diabetes is considered
the most serious, individuals can maintain normal and productive
lives by receiving insulin injections.
The second type of diabetes is known as Type II diabetes. This type
occurs mostly in adults over the age of 40, and is linked to the
diet of individual. In many cases, individuals are able to control
Type II diabetes by making specific changes in their diet and with
regular exercise.
Managing diabetes with a good diet
According to the Joslin Diabetes Center, at least 10 million Americans
who are at risk with type 2 Diabetes can greatly lower their chances
of getting diabetes by keeping control of their diet, and exercising
regularly. Good nutrition is one of the most important parts of
living healthy, preventing Diabetes, and other life threatening
diseases.
If needed, dieticians can create special diets for diabetic patients
and people who may be at risk of getting the disease. Most diabetics
are overweight, keeping this in mind; the most important goal of
a meal plan is to get people back to their ideal body weight.
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There
are several ways people with diabetes can manage their food
intake to keep their blood sugars as close to normal as possible.
Diabetics should (a) eat about the same amount of food at the
same time each day, (b) plan to eat 4-5 hours apart, and (c)
try not to skip meals. If blood sugar is low, a diabetic can
feel cranky, tired, confused, shaky, or sweaty. They should
immediately drink fruit juice or regular soda to return their
blood sugar to normal. For most people, a healthy diet consists
of 40 to 60% of calories from carbohydrates, 20% from protein,
and 30% or less from fat (American Family Physician).
Finally, it is important to balance meals, medication, and exercise
as well as monitor blood sugar. |
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Prevention
In regards to Type 2 diabetes, prevention is the key. It is advised
to learn to control one’s weight by eating properly and exercising
regularly. With diet, there seems to be a general consensus to increase
intake of plant foods. In addition, an emphasis on whole grains,
fruits, vegetables, and legumes are advised. They have an abundance
of vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, and fiber.
Is there
a cure?
Diabetes is considered to be a degenerative disease. Degenerative
diseases are caused by many factors including immunity, heredity
infections, environment, lifestyle, and psychological factors. Since
these degenerative diseases have no single cause, it would be inappropriate
to state that a simple medical cure has been found. From meditation
chants to various diet recommendations, to name a few, claims for
cures are in no shortage. The FTC has had to alert the public to
be careful not to succumb to such rhetoric, since substantiating
evidence is not yet available. There does seem to be positive signs
in the horizon, and according to Sizer and Whitney (2000), researchers
are coming closer to their ultimate goal of developing a vaccine
or other therapy to prevent Type 1 diabetes from occurring. They
went on to report that the need for insulin shots may soon be eliminated.
An insulin nasal spray and an inhaler that delivers insulin to the
lungs are proving useful in clinical studies.
In regards to
Type 2 diabetes, prevention is the key. It is advised to learn to
control one’s weight by eating properly and exercising regularly.
With diet, there seems to be a general consensus to increase intake
of plant foods. In addition, an emphasis on whole grains, fruits,
vegetables, and legumes are advised. They have an abundance of vitamins,
minerals, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. There seems to be some
disagreement as to whether Type 2 diabetes is curable or just controllable.
Either way, if one has a predisposition to developing diabetes,
it is important to address their lifestyle to counter its presence
or potential onset. With the many complications that can arise from
diabetes as with many other degenerative diseases, we should do
all we can to live a more healthy life. Even though many Americans
are living longer, there can not be much pleasure in suffering from
diseases that could be prevented or at least controlled by eating
right, exercising, and living with a proper balance. It may not
be easy, but it must be easier than being sick.
In conclusion, this newsletter is to be considered only an introduction
to the basics of diabetes. If you are concerned about possibly having
diabetes, please get it checked out. If you already have it, let
this be an extra encouragement to keep up the fight. Finally, if
you have diabetes and have yet to begin these life changes, let
this be a wake up call.
References
American Diabetes Association. "Healthy Living – Nutrition"
Frequently Asked Questions: Nutrition and Diabetes
http//diabetes.org/main/health/nutrition/faqs.jsp
American Family Physician. "Diabetes and Nutrition. (Statistical
Data)"
http//www.findarticles.com August 1999
Haps Living Well Series, Diabetes and Nutrition
http://healthyliving.hapcorp.org/diabetes/d_nutrition.htm
Joslin Diabetes Foundation, Managing Diabetes,
http://www.joslin.harvard.edu/education/library.shtml
University of Maryland Medicine. "Diabetes Health Guide"
Diagnosis Protocol for Diabetes. 2002
(http://www.umm.edu/diabetes-info/diagnosis.htm)
Sizer, F. S., & Whitney, E.N. (2000) Eighth Edition Nutrition
Concepts and
Controversies Stamford, CT: Thompson Learning.
Page, L. (2001, March-April). Diabetes is on the rise. Total Health,
23 (2) Retrieved
April 30, 2002 form the World Wide Web: site unknown.
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