Holiday Season Especially Risky For Diabetics
posted 12/16/02
With the abundance of food during the holiday season and diabetes
rising at alarming rates, medical authorities are reminding the public that they
can help prevent many cases of diabetes by watching what they eat and
exercising.
Eight million people in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes and
another 10 million probably have it without knowing it, said Theresa Davis, a
registered nurse and diabetes educator at the Diabetes Center at North Florida
Regional Medical Center.
"Studies are showing diabetes is at an epidemic proportion right now," Davis
said.
One million people aged 20 or older are diagnosed with diabetes each year,
according to the National Institutes of Health.
Cases of diabetes increased 33 percent between 1990 and 1998, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention reports.
And the holidays are an especially difficult time for a diabetic, according to
the Children With Diabetes Foundation in Boulder, Colo.
The average American gains over 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's.
And foundation officials believe that on average, a diabetic's blood sugar goes
up about 50 points over the holidays.
About 9,000 Floridians die each year from complications of diabetes, according
to the Florida Department of Health.
Two types of diabetes
While there are two types of diabetes, the role of insulin is crucial in both
types.
Insulin allows the sugar in a people's blood to enter their cells and give them
fuel and nutrition, Davis said. Everybody needs insulin to live, she added.
When someone has type 1 diabetes, which mostly strikes children, the part of
their pancreas that makes insulin no longer works. Type 1 diabetics, which
account for 10 percent of all diabetes cases in the United States, usually have
to get insulin in a shot or a pump to live.
Type 2 diabetics may be producing insulin but it's not enough or it's not
working well, Davis said.
When insulin isn't there or isn't working well, sugar builds up in the blood and
can attack organs over time, Davis said.
People who don't know they have diabetes can go years without effects showing,
Davis said. But when the effects of untreated diabetes do kick in, they can be
devastating.
"Diabetes affects every system of the body," Davis said. "It's the No. 1 cause
of blindness, kidney failure and non-traumatic foot amputation."
Diabetics are also at greater risk of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure
and dental problems, according to the National Institutes of Health.
And with diabetes on the rise, so are the problems.
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has tripled in the past 30 years, according to
the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
About $11 billion is spent each year to treat the complications of diabetes,
Davis said.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with older age, obesity, family history of
diabetes, prior history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance,
physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity.
Prevention possible
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed, Davis said.
A recent study showed that a group of people at risk for diabetes reduced their
risk of getting the disease by 58 percent by exercising three times a week and
losing some weight, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Richard Paynter of Gainesville said he's kept his diabetes at bay well enough
that he doesn't have to take medication.
Paynter, 77, was diagnosed with diabetes three months ago during a routine exam
at his doctor's office. He mentioned to his doctor that he'd been feeling a
little woozy in the morning, and after blood tests and an exam, his doctor
diagnosed diabetes.
Paynter attended a two-day class at North Florida Regional Medical Center and
said he learned a lot about diabetes and what he needs to eat to stay healthy.
"I used to eat too much ice cream and drink a few cans of Vanilla Coke every
day," Paynter said. "Those add up as far as calories."
Now Paynter said he sticks to about 1,800 calories a day and eats fruit for a
snack instead of ice cream. He's lost 25 pounds in two months.
"I was hungry for a while, but I'm getting used to it," Paynter said. "If I
continue to hold my weight where it is and continue to keep the blood in good
shape, I won't need to start any kind of medicine at all."
And while Paynter isn't suffering very bad effects right now, he knows what
diabetes can do. His grandfather, who had diabetes, died of gangrene in his foot
in the 1930s.
Above all, Paynter said, listen to your body and then listen to your doctor.
"It's certainly something that if there's any way you can prevent it, you
certainly should," Paynter said. "I'm very fortunate I'm not on medication or
insulin. They caught it very quickly and I listened to what they said."
The symptoms of diabetes include frequent thirst, frequent urination, blurred
vision, fatigue and slow-healing cuts. Anyone who believes they might have
diabetes should visit their doctor, Davis said.
Kathy Ciotola can be reached at 338-3109 or ciotolk@gvillesun. com.
Cases, complications steadily on rise
Holiday eating tips for diabetics:
Source: The Gainsville Sun.
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