By Ramesh Amara, M.D., for LIVING WELL Magazine
There’s a lot of misinformation when it comes to diabetes. One of the oldest myths is that eating too many sugary foods causes the disease. Not only is this untrue, but it’s also not necessary for people with diabetes to avoid all sugar. Of course, eating a well-balanced diet rich in whole grains, protein, veggies and fruit and low in fat, cholesterol and simple sugars is a healthy plan for everyone.
So if sugar isn’t the culprit behind the diabetes epidemic, then what has led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to estimate that at its current rate, one in three Americans will develop the disease in his or her lifetime? Let’s look at the fundamentals of the disease and then try to answer some common questions (and dispel the myths).
There are several different types of diabetes seen in older adults. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetics need insulin to manage the disease.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease, accounting for about 95% of all diabetes diagnoses. In Type 2 diabetes, the body loses its sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that helps muscles absorb and use blood sugar. As we see a rise in obesity, Type 2 diabetes is being diagnosed at an increasing rate. Changes to diet and exercise habits may be all that is needed to treat Type 2 diabetes. More severe cases often require oral medication or insulin.
No discussion on diabetes would be complete without acknowledging that, in addition to the nearly 24 million Americans who have diabetes (nearly 12 million of whom are individuals age 65 and older), there’s another 57 million who have pre-diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, then you know that this is a wake-up call that you’re on the path to diabetes. It means your blood sugar, or glucose, level is higher than it should be but not yet in the diabetes range. Pre-diabetics typically have an average blood glucose, or A1C, between 5.7 and 6.4%.
The good news is that you will not develop Type 2 diabetes automatically if you have pre-diabetes. Working with your physician to make healthy diet and lifestyle changes can be key to warding off diabetes.
Do diet and exercise really prevent diabetes?
Yes, exercising and eating a healthy diet helps you keep off excess weight, which can prevent, or at least delay, diabetes. Being obese or overweight can hike your risk of Type 2 diabetes by more than 90 times, because your pancreas can’t keep up with your weight. If you already have diabetes, doing aerobic exercise and resistance training helps by encouraging your muscles to store more blood sugar. Such activity may even reduce the amount of blood-sugar-lowering medication you need to take. Exercise also helps lower the risk of complications like blindness and nerve and kidney damage associated with diabetes.
Does Type 2 diabetes skip a generation?
The notion that Type 2 diabetes skips a generation is another myth. People with a family history of Type 2 diabetes are at greater risk, especially if you have a parent or sibling who had or has it. Having a family member with diabetes raises your risk of developing Type 1 diabetes by about 5% and Type 2 by more than 30%. We also know that Hispanics, African-Americans and Native Americans have a higher incidence of Type 2 diabetes. As an internal medicine specialist, I try to help my adult patients recognize that family history is one risk factor for diabetes and I work with them to keep them on a healthy course.
How will I know if I have diabetes?
Diabetes may cause no symptoms at all, but some signs include frequent thirst and hunger, having to urinate more than usual, excessive weight loss and fatigue. If you’re concerned, talk to your physician about getting a fasting blood-sugar test done to measure the amount of sugar in your blood. Or, come see our staff at Primary Care and Internal Medicine of Frisco. We can help you reduce your risk of developing diabetes or pre-diabetes. Taking a few preventive measures may keep you from becoming a diabetes statistic.
Dr. Ramesh Amara is a board-certified internal medicine physician. Reach Dr. Amara and Primary Care & Internal Medicine of Frisco at 972-377-8695 or www.InternalMedicineFrisco.com.
