2008 Woodie Awards
Diabetes month celebrated
By Janine Fulginiti
Issue date: 11/12/07 Section: Features
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November is American Diabetes month, and it is an opportunity to raise awareness about the signs, symptoms, prevention and treatment of this chronic disease.
According to the American Diabetes Association Web site, currently more than 20 million Americans and 246 million people worldwide are living with diabetes.
These staggering figures do not include the 54 million people in the United States alone that do not currently have diabetes, but are at high risk for developing Type II diabetes within their lifetimes.
Diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot properly produce or use insulin, which is needed to convert sugar into energy for the body to function properly. There are many different types of diabetes, but the two major forms are Type I and Type II diabetes.
Type I diabetes, formerly known as childhood-onset, is a condition in which the body cannot produce any insulin. Type I diabetes increases a person's risk for many other serious conditions, including heart disease, nerve damage, blindness and kidney damage.
Type II diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a condition in which the body cannot properly use the insulin that it produces, or it simply does not produce enough insulin. It is the most common type of diabetes.
Although diabetes affects people of all ages, races and backgrounds, some are at a higher risk of developing Type II than others. It is more common in the elderly, African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Asian Americans/ Pacific Islanders.
The American Diabetes Association stresses the importance of proper diabetes control. It is vital for people diagnosed with diabetes to seek proper treatment. If blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol are kept under control, it can greatly reduce the risk for complications such as a heart attack or stroke. Also, routine dilated eye exams and foot exams can prevent other complications from diabetes such as blindness, amputations, heart disease and kidney disease.
According to the American Diabetes Association Web site, currently more than 20 million Americans and 246 million people worldwide are living with diabetes.
These staggering figures do not include the 54 million people in the United States alone that do not currently have diabetes, but are at high risk for developing Type II diabetes within their lifetimes.
Diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot properly produce or use insulin, which is needed to convert sugar into energy for the body to function properly. There are many different types of diabetes, but the two major forms are Type I and Type II diabetes.
Type I diabetes, formerly known as childhood-onset, is a condition in which the body cannot produce any insulin. Type I diabetes increases a person's risk for many other serious conditions, including heart disease, nerve damage, blindness and kidney damage.
Type II diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a condition in which the body cannot properly use the insulin that it produces, or it simply does not produce enough insulin. It is the most common type of diabetes.
Although diabetes affects people of all ages, races and backgrounds, some are at a higher risk of developing Type II than others. It is more common in the elderly, African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Asian Americans/ Pacific Islanders.
The American Diabetes Association stresses the importance of proper diabetes control. It is vital for people diagnosed with diabetes to seek proper treatment. If blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol are kept under control, it can greatly reduce the risk for complications such as a heart attack or stroke. Also, routine dilated eye exams and foot exams can prevent other complications from diabetes such as blindness, amputations, heart disease and kidney disease.
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