The American Diabetes Association defines diabetes mellitus as a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels as a result of the body's inability to produce and/or use insulin properly. Type 1 diabetes, an inability to produce insulin, usually develops during childhood. Type 2 diabetes, caused by the body's inability to use insulin effectively, usually develops as a result of obesity-related health issues. Type 2 diabetes in particular progresses in various stages during which early detection and treatment strategies can help prevent development of the disease.
Prediabetes
Normal fasting blood glucose levels are between 70 and 100mg/dL. If an individual presents with a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125mg/dL they are categorized as having prediabetes. Regular blood glucose monitoring can detect prediabetes before it develops into full-blown diabetes mellitus. If an individual presents with prediabetes, a healthy diet and regular exercise, along with a 5 to 7 percent weight loss, has been shown to decrease the risk of developing diabetes by approximately 60 percent, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, which is diagnosed when an individual presents with a fasting blood glucose level above 126 mg/dL, or an oral glucose tolerance test above 200 mg/dL. Type 2 diabetes is defined as the inability of the body to produce enough insulin or to use insulin effectively enough to keep blood glucose levels within a normal range. It is mostly seen in adults, but can also present in children who have risk factors for the disease. The American Diabetes Association states such risk factors for type 2 diabetes as being physically inactive, having a parent or sibling with diabetes, having high blood pressure, having a high cholesterol or triglyceride level, or being severely obese, to name a few. Once an individual is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it is important that individuals educate themselves on the proper diet they will need to consume as well as on blood glucose monitoring and medications they may need to take so that they can keep their blood glucose levels under control.
Advanced Progression of Diabetes
If blood glucose levels are not kept under control through a combination of diet, exercise, medication, and blood glucose monitoring, type 1 or type 2 diabetes can lead to serious health effects. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, uncontrolled diabetes can lead to nerve damage that can cause numbness, tingling, and pain in the extremities that can lead to slow healing wounds and amputation of limbs. In addition, nerve damage, or neuropathy, can cause gastroparesis, which results in digestive problems resulting from the slowing of food emptying from the stomach, as well as blood pressure and circulation problems. Such effects of diabetes on the body is why it is so important to identify diabetes as early as possible so treatment strategies can be used to prevent further progression of the disease.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetes Basics
- American Diabetes Association: Prediabetes
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes
- American Diabetes Association: Type 2 Diabetes
- National Diabetes Clearinghouse: Diabetic Neuropathies: The Nerve Damage of Diabetes
