Important Sugar Diabetes Information
An estimated twenty million Americans are diagnosed with sugar diabetes. This is approximately seven percent of the populace in the US. This medical condition arises when the body is not able to regulate the blood glucose level due to inability to produce or use insulin. The blood glucose level is determined through the amount of glucose found in the blood. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, transports these to the cells where it is converted to energy.
Two common types of sugar diabetes
There are two common types of sugar diabetes. These are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes sufferers are not able to produce insulin. This medical condition is prevalent in children and young adults which is why it was previously called as juvenile diabetes. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes sufferers either do not create sufficient insulin or their bodies cannot use insulin effectively. The latter case is also called as insulin resistance. So, instead of being passed to the cells through insulin, glucose builds up in the blood. This leads to cells being starved for energy and damage to the eye, kidney, nerves or heart due to high blood glucose level exposure. Whereas type 1 sugar diabetes cannot be prevented, the development and onset of complications for type 2 diabetes may be delayed through proper diet and exercise.
Detection of sugar diabetes
Detection of sugar diabetes at its early stages is beneficial for the diabetic sufferer. Treatment at this stage will prevent complications from taking place. Some tests are administered by health care providers to determine if a person has diabetes or pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a medical condition wherein the blood glucose level of a person is higher than normal but is not high enough for him to be diagnosed with diabetes. The most common tests for these are the Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) and the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). For the FPG test, an indicator for pre-diabetes is a fasting blood glucose level within the 100 and 125 mg / dl range. For the OGTT, an indicator for pre-diabetes is a two-hour blood glucose level ranging from 140 and 199 mg/dl. For the OGTT, the blood glucose level of the person is taken after he has done fasting and two hours after he has taken a sugar-rich drink. The American Diabetes Association recommends the FPG test because it is the less expensive and more convenient option. In addition, it may help detection of this disease if a person is aware of the early symptoms of sugar diabetes. These are excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, unexplained weight loss, irritability, increased fatigue and blurry vision.
Particularly for type 2 sugar diabetes sufferers, development of the disease can be delayed through proper diet and increased physical activity. Based on the Diabetes Prevention Program initiated by the American Diabetes Association, these effectively keep the blood glucose level of a person within normal range. In fact, the study shows that a 58% reduction in diabetes can take place if a diabetic engages in a 30-minute daily exercise and at least a five percent reduction in body weight.