Precision Presents: Diabetes Awareness
WRITTEN BY | Mark Mabazza, R.N.
It is quite interesting that one of my earliest memories growing up would be my dad trying to find the balance between raising a family of 5 and caring for his own health as he has been diagnosed with diabetes since he was 30 years old. He was able to make it to 72 but not without any complications and multiple surgeries – all due to diabetes. My dad, his mom and all his siblings had their own stories to tell in contending with diabetes. Sadly, none of them are with us anymore to share those stories. Countless others have experienced similar or much worse.
It is almost impossible that we do not know of anyone who has diabetes. According to World Health Organization (WHO): “In 2022, 14% of adults aged 18 years and older were living with diabetes, an increase from 7% in 1990. More than half (59%) of adults aged 30 years and over living with diabetes were not taking medication for their diabetes in 2022. Diabetes treatment coverage was lowest in low- and middle-income countries.” Today, over 38 million Americans live with diabetes and nearly 98 million adults have prediabetes.
What is Diabetes? According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH): Diabetes is a disease that occurs when our blood sugar is too high. Glucose (blood sugar) is our body’s main source of energy. Our body can make glucose, but glucose also comes from the food we eat. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps glucose get into our cells to be used for energy. If we have diabetes, our body either does not make enough—or any—insulin or doesn’t use insulin properly. Glucose then stays in our blood and does not reach our cells. It then raises the risk of damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart. Diabetes is also linked to some types of cancer.
The most common types of diabetes are:
Type 1 Diabetes
It is an autoimmune disease. Our immune system attacks and destroys the cells in our pancreas that make Insulin. It is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with this type need to take Insulin every day.
Type 2 Diabetes
The pancreas may not be making enough Insulin to keep the blood glucose level in the normal range. Risk factors such as being overweight or obese and family history increase the chances of an individual developing type 2 diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes
It develops during pregnancy. Typically, it goes away after the baby is born.
This month, organizations such as American Diabetes Association (ADA), Diabetes Research Institute, and NIH, among many others arranged for various events and activities throughout the month. Their websites contain a wealth of knowledge along with stories of individuals and their families who were able to manage diabetes despite its tremendous challenge.
Learning more about diabetes can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Here are a few changes we can make:
In 2022, 830 million around the world have diabetes and many more people like me have an increased risk of developing due to family history. However, it also does not mean that we will allow “nature to takes its course.” The question always lies in what choices we have made today. Will we allow diabetes to take away the time to do the things we like to do or the time we can spend with our loved ones? It comes down to how much we know about diabetes and more importantly, the measures we take to either prevent or manage diabetes.