High Blood Sugar Levels and Diabetes
Because of poor diet and the lack of exercise in the way of life followed by many people they are at risk, without knowing it, of developing a serious disease, known as diabetes or an only slightly less serious condition called pre-diabetes.
Both of those disease conditions are associated with higher than normal blood sugar levels, usually the result of a diet rich in sugary and sweet foods and beverages, welcome to the palate but dangerous to blood circulation and the heart among other things.
Also associated with diabetes and pre-diabetes, now reaching epidemic proportions in the United States, is excess body weight and obesity, also reaching epidemic proportions in America. In addition to the higher than normal blood sugars and obesity that lead to diabetes, the high amounts of saturated fats and transfats that are typical in the diets of many people contribute to heart disease and stroke. A case where what is sometimes called the good life enjoyed by many Americans is also leading to their early deaths.
Serious health complications resulting from diabetes
According to the Center for Disease Control and other leading diabetes organizations, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in 2005 the latest year for which data is available. The following statistics were also brought to light:
Adults with diabetes are more likely to die of heart disease and stroke than people that do not have diabetes, by a rate two to four time higher.
People with diabetes are a greater risk of stroke, also by a rate two to four times higher that a person who does not have diabetes.
Diabetes is the major cause leading to kidney disease, new occurrences of adult blindness, and amputations that do not involve victims of accidents. The sugars in the blood of diabetics causes impaired blood circulation lead to blood vessel neuropathies that can, in turn, lead to serious gangrene requiring surgery.
There are no outward visible signs that indicate the existence of high blood sugar levels but any person who is significantly overweight and consuming the type of foods referred to above is a likely candidate to have them.
To find out for sure, all it takes is a visit to a doctor who will arrange a simple blood test, fast and easily done, and in doing so, years of discomfort and risk of serious health complications may be avoided.
There is no cure if diabetes if it is shown to exist in a person but early detection provides the best chance of getting it under control and minimizing the potential damage in the future and allowing that person to lead a near normal life. That is also more possible with the pre-diabetes condition too.
The most common form of treatment, control, and management of diabetes is through the adoption of a healthy and nutritious diabetic diet plan that is suited to the tastes and preferences of the individual. That, with the shedding of excess weight, maintenance of a new healthy weight, probably with some added form of modest exercise, is usually enough to achieve the desired results. In some cases the doctor may prescribe special diabetes drugs.
In all cases, the diabetic and pre-diabetic condition should be treated by a doctor. Much about diabetes can be found at Diabetes Information Exchange.
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