Keep Your Workouts Fresh
Jan 31, 2012
Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels that result from defects in the body's ability to produce and/or use insulin. There are several types of diabetes:
Type 1 Diabetes:
This type is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, but can be diagnosed in adults as well. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy needed for daily life. Only 5-10% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease.
Type 2 Diabetes:
This is the most common form of diabetes. Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and many more are unaware they have the disease. Some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others. Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population.
In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can lead to diabetes complications.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM):
Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy are said to have GDM. GDM affects about 4% of all pregnant women; there are about 135,000 cases of GDM in the United States each year.
GDM starts when the body is not able to make and use all the insulin it needs for pregnancy. Without enough insulin, glucose cannot leave the blood and be changed to energy, which can lead to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Untreated or poorly controlled GDM can hurt your baby. When you have GDM, your pancreas works overtime to produce insulin, but the insulin does not lower your blood glucose levels. Although insulin does not cross the placenta, glucose and other nutrients do. So, extra blood glucose goes through the placenta, giving the baby high blood glucose levels. This causes the baby's pancreas to make extra insulin to get rid of the blood glucose. Since the baby is getting more energy than it needs to grow and develop, the extra energy is stored as fat. This can lead to macrosomia, or a large baby. Macrosomic babies can face health problems of their own, including damage to their shoulders during birth. Because of the extra insulin made by the baby's pancreas, newborns may have very low blood glucose levels at birth and are also at higher risk for breathing problems. Babies with excess insulin may become children who are at risk for obesity and adults who are at risk for type 2 diabetes.
How is Diabetes Diagnosed?
- Fasting (no food or drink for eight hours or more) blood glucose greater than or equal to 126 on two separate lab draws + symptoms
- Any casual blood glucose over 200 + symptoms
- Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (often used during pregnancy) with blood glucose over 200, two hours after ingesting 75 grams of glucose solution
- Hemoglobin A1c over 6.5% (this test indicates a blood glucose average over a 2-3 month period of time)
What are the symptoms of Diabetes?
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
- Extreme hunger
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Blurry Vision
- Poorly healing cuts or bruises
- Frequent or recurrent infections
- Numbness, tingling in hands/feet
*Note: these are also the symptoms of high blood glucose in someone already diagnosed with diabetes. Some people have no symptoms at diagnosis.
How can a Dietitian help?
Research has shown that Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) provided by a Registered Dietitian (RD) can improve Hemoglobin A1C values by up to 2%. Hemoglobin A1C is a measure of glucose control and is taken via blood draw up to four times each year. Normal A1C values are less than 5.8%. Diabetes may be diagnosed with a value over 6.5%. The goal for those already diagnosed with diabetes is to keep the A1C less than 7%. The higher the A1C, the higher the risk of complications.
What is a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE)?
A healthcare professional who has extensive experience working with the diabetes population and who has successfully passed a national examination. Some dietitians, such as our dietitian at SoCal Nutrition & Wellness, are trained as CDEs. CDEs focus on educating people with and at risk for diabetes and related conditions to achieve behavior change leading to better outcomes and improved health status.
For more information, please visit the American Diabetes Association website: www.diabetes.org