Diabetes
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. Your body breaks down most of the food you eat into sugar (glucose) and releases it into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin acts like a key to let the blood sugar into your body’s cells for use as energy.
Pre-diabetes
Prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Approximately 96 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
It is believed that an autoimmune reaction is what causes type 1 diabetes (the body attacks itself by mistake). Your body’s production of insulin is stopped by this reaction. Type 1 diabetes affects between 5–10% of those who have the disease. Type 1 diabetes symptoms frequently appear suddenly. Typically, it is discovered in kids, teenagers, and young adults. You must take insulin every day to stay alive if you have type 1 diabetes. There is currently no cure for type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes
Your body struggles to properly utilize insulin in type 2 diabetes, making it difficult to maintain normal blood sugar levels. The majority of diabetics (90–95%) are type 2. It takes years to develop, and adults are typically diagnosed with it (but more and more in children, teens, and young adults). If you are at risk, it is crucial to have your blood sugar tested because you might not exhibit any symptoms.
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with healthy lifestyle changes, such as:
- Losing weight.
- Eating healthy food.
- Being active.
Facts and Numbers
The IDF Diabetes Atlas Tenth edition 2021 provides the latest figures, information and projections on diabetes worldwide.
