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Diabetes Facts - Page Four

The main treatment for Type 2 Diabetes is oral medication. However, occasionally more than one form of oral medication is used and sometimes, oral medication, is used along with insulin. Along with the medications, some very important parts of treatment are diet, exercise and lifestyle modifications. These lifestyle modifications would include, exercise, behavioral strategies, stress reduction techniques, and nutritional support. It is very important that a person with Type 2 diabetes seek the advice of a nutrition expert, as well as a diabetes nurse educator, to regulate insulin and meals. Additional support is suggested from an exercise physiologist and a therapist.

Gestational diabetes

A third form of Diabetes, Gestational Diabetes, is sometimes diagnosed in pregnant women. Gestational diabetes occurs due to the hormones in pregnancy, increasing to a higher than normal level in the 7-9^th months of pregnancy. When the hormones rise to a certain level in the body, it sometimes blocks the sugar from going into the cell. The sugar in the blood stream builds to a higher than normal level, and diabetes develops. This has to be treated with insulin, and diet. Usually, these situations end with the delivery of the baby. After pregnancy, 5 percent to 10 percent of women with gestational diabetes are found to have type 2 diabetes. Women, who have had Gestational Diabetes, have a 20 to 50% chance of developing diabetes later in life.

The main treatment for Gestational Diabetes is insulin use, along with diet, and exercise. In this type of diabetes, diet plays an even more important role, since insulin is artificially supplied to the body. It is very important to have a very regulated carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake at each meal, for three meals and additional snacks. This will help regulate the blood sugar from going too high or too low, as well as more efficient use of the insulin. It is very important that a person with Gestational Diabetes seek the advice of a nutrition expert, as well as a diabetes nurse educator, to regulate insulin and meals.

Treatment with insulin or oral medication United States, 1999-2001

Prediabetes – Old Foe-New name

Prediabetes is a new name for a medical condition affecting 16 million American adults that have been around for a while under other names. IGT and IFG, impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose are the old names. But these were too confusing for the public. For the layperson, prediabetes is blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA), introduced the new term pre-diabetes in March 2002, along with guidelines for diagnosing it. This was done with the hope that the at-risk population would be better identified.

The new guidelines for pre-diabetes placed people with a fasting blood sugar of 100 mg/dl in the prediabetes category. Before the new guidelines, the cut-off was 110 mg/dl. This drop in ten points increased the population with prediabetes by 20%. This also changes normal fasting blood sugar to 99 or lower.

Having the condition of prediabetes, means one has an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke studies show that people with pre-diabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 dm. Some studies show that many people with this condition develop diabetes within ten years. However, at this stage, maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise can still prevent diabetes. Having pre-diabetes does not say it’s a sure thing that you will get diabetes. With lifestyle modifications, such as diet, weight loss, and increased physical activity, one can prevent, or delay the onset of diabetes.

The information provided are for informational purposes, and are not intended for use as diagnosis or treatment of a health problem or as a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional. Please consult your own physician, or appropriate health care provider about the applicability of any of the information, with respect to your own symptoms, or medical conditions, as these diseases commonly present with variable signs and symptoms. References to sources of information in this site should not be considered an endorsement.

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/statistics/index.htm#7