The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that people with diabetes spend 2.3 times more on medical expenses than people without the disease—all the more reason to take prevention seriously or, if you’ve been diagnosed, to manage it as best you can. Whether you’ve been recently diagnosed or know someone living with Type 2 diabetes, here are eight facts about diabetes you might not know.
Facts about diabetes
1. Sugary foods and drinks don’t cause diabetes.
But that doesn’t mean you can consume endless amounts of Ben & Jerry’s. When you overdo the sweet stuff, you’re taking in extra calories, says Sacha Uelmen, RDN, director of nutrition at the ADA. And that packs on the pounds, upping your risk for Type 2. Instead, opt for healthy sugar-free desserts and snacks for diabetics.
2. You could have prediabetes and not know it.
One in three Americans over age 20—a staggering 86 million—has blood glucose (sugar) levels hovering just below the Type 2 diabetes threshold (fasting glucose level of 100–125 mg/dL). Prediabetes isn’t harmless: It may damage blood vessels and cause nerve problems, says William Cefalu, MD, chief scientific, medical and mission officer for the ADA. To learn if you should be checked for prediabetes, take the ADA risk test at doihaveprediabetes.org.
3. You can prevent or delay its onset.
If you have prediabetes, you can help reverse the disease by losing 7 percent of your body weight. For starters, eat healthfully and get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. You don’t have to do it alone. The ADA’s lifestyle change program, the National Diabetes Prevention Program, is now a covered one-time benefit for Medicare beneficiaries who meet certain criteria. Ask your health-care provider for details.
4. Even older people can develop Type 1 diabetes.
Though it’s dubbed juvenile diabetes because it typically affects children and young adults, Type 1 doesn’t discriminate based on age. A recent study found that 4 percent of 31- to 60-year-olds diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes actually had Type 1. Because it’s more rare in the over-30 set and because Type 2 is so common, doctors sometimes overlook Type 1. Some red flags indicating an older person with Type 2 may have Type 1: Her weight is normal and she doesn’t respond to Type 2 medications.
5. It really hurts your heart.
People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people without diabetes, says Cefalu. But a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that if you stop smoking and take steps to lower your blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c (a blood pigment that glucose attaches to), LDL cholesterol and albuminuria (a marker for kidney damage), you can erase the excess risk.
6. It can raise your risk for gum disease.
Type 1 and Type 2 up the risk for cavities, thrush, dry mouth and periodontitis, says diabetologist Jay Shubrook, DO, director of diabetes services at Touro University in Vallejo, California.
7. The dreaded finger stick may become a thing of the past.
According to the FDA, two new continuous glucose monitoring devices (CGMs)—the Dexcom G6 and the FreeStyle Libre—are “accurate enough to make insulin dosing decisions without the need for a finger stick,” says endocrinologist Aaron Neinstein, M.D., director of clinical informatics at the University of California San Francisco Center for Digital Health Innovation. The latest CGMs are also compatible with smart devices, allowing you to check glucose levels quickly. The Dexcom G6 even sounds an alarm if levels drop, so you can enjoy worry-free sleep.
8. It’s bad for bones.
In people with diabetes, hormones and cell products called cytokines can weaken bones, raising fracture risk, says Felicia Cosman, M.D., professor of medicine at Columbia University. Also, conditions associated with diabetes, such as neuropathy, vision problems and low blood sugar, increase the risk of falling and breaking a bone. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor if you need a bone density test, a good idea if you’re over 50 or you’ve broken a bone, says Cosman, editor-in-chief of the journal Osteoporosis International.
Ask the Doctor: Can prediabetes put your vision at risk?
Just as diabetes can increase your risk of developing blindness, having prediabetes can increase your risk of vision loss too. Prediabetes can cause retinopathy, changes to the structure of the eye that can result in vision loss. Having retinopathy is the single biggest predictor for vision loss. It has the best chance for treatment success if detected early and treated. that’s why it’s important to get a dilated eye exam every year. And ask your primary doctor about testing for prediabetes if you’re overweight and older than 45. —Cleveland Clinic ophthalmologist Sumit Sharma, M.D. Have you tried one of these great apps for managing diabetes?
Sources
Sacha Uelmen, RDN, director of nutrition at the ADAWilliam Cefalu, MD, chief scientific, medical and mission officer for the ADAJay Shubrook, DO, director of diabetes services at Touro University in Vallejo, CaliforniaAmerican Diabetes Association
