According to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, new cases of type 2 diabetes have doubled over the past three decades among middle-aged Americans.
Also known as adult-onset diabetes, type 2 diabetes is the most common although getting older isn’t the only risk factor. Symptoms of diabetes can be mild or thought of as harmless.
In fact, it’s estimated that more than six million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes and don’t even know it.
In type 2 diabetes, the body does not produce or process enough insulin to carry sugar from the blood into the cells resulting in cells starved for energy and unhealthy blood sugar levels that may damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart.
The Wound Healing Center at Marion Regional Healthcare System, a National Healing Corporation Wound Healing Center, sees many patients with diabetes who have developed chronic wounds due to complications from the disease.
It is important to know the risk factors and warning signs of diabetes. One study showed that simple lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of contracting diabetes up to 58 percent in adults and as much as one percent in people over 60 years of age.
Common risk factors in the United States according to the American Diabetes Association include:
People over 45 have a greater risk of developing diabetes: nearly 10 percent of people 20 and older have diabetes but the number doubles by the age of 60 and older.
Men are at a slightly higher risk than women by little more than a percentage point at 10.9 versus 9.7 percent.
African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders are approximately two times more likely to develop diabetes than non-Hispanic whites.
Family history is an important factor: according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control, the prevalence of diabetes among individuals who have a first-degree relative with diabetes was nearly five times greater than individuals without a family history. Risk increases with the number of relatives affected with diabetes.
Women who had high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, gestational diabetes, or who gave birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds are at risk.
High blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or greater, high levels of triglycerides (250 mg/dL or more) or HDL cholesterol levels of under 35 are all warning signs.
Being overweight, especially with a body-mass index or 25 or above, increases the risk.
For information or to schedule an appointment, call (843) 431-CARE (2273) or visit us at www.MarionCountyMedical.com.
Submitted by Treadwell Campbell, MD, Wound Healing Center, Marion Regional Healthcare System.
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