November is the month focused on diabetes. It is only right that we take a look at what we know about this condition.
Diabetes mellitus is a group of chronic conditions characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood. This high glucose levels were due to disruption in insulin production, diminished action of insulin, or both. Diabetes is incurable but manageable.
There are several types of diabetes mellitus, namely:
- Type 1 diabetes is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or juvenile diabetes and accounts for 5 to 10% of all diabetes cases.
- Type 2 diabetes is also known as noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or adult diabetes and accounts for 90 to 95% of all diabetes cases.
- Pregnancy or gestational diabetes occurs in about 5% of all pregnant women.
- There are rare types of diabetes which account for 1 to 5% of all cases of diabetes.
The statistics
Some statistics from the American Diabetes Association (ADA):
- 24 million children and adults in the United States live with diabetes
- 57 million Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes
- 1 out of every 3 children born today will face a future with diabetes if current trends continue.
The campaign
In the US, lots of events have been scheduled to observe the National Diabetes Month. Some are as follows:
- Launch of Stop Diabetes Movement by the ADA on November 1 in Denver, Colorado
- Release of education video series on diabetes
- Community events organized by the local ADA chapters.
The video series
The said series is a collection of online educational video clips to give practical tips and advice for living with the disease. The videos were developed in collaboration with Liberty Medical and can be viewed online at www.stopdiabetes.com under the “learn” section. Topics covered include
- symptoms
- risks
- weight management tips
- exercise tips
- an overview of
- insulin delivery methods
- tips on caring for a parent
- understanding the ABCs of diabetes – A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol measurements
Community events
Some of the local events include
- Free blood glucose and A1C testing
- Free pharmacy consultation
- Walgreens Diabetes Wellness Events
- Free diabetes guides
- Fairs and expos
- Seminars and workshops
Other resources on diabetes:
- The Heart of Diabetes by the American Heart Association offers diabetes health assessments and cookbooks and recipes for diabetes patients.
- International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
- Diabetes UK
- Canadian Diabetes Association
Coming up: World Diabetes Day on November 14.
Photo credit: stock.xchng
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