Answer: Diabetes is a group of diseases that result from excess sugar in the blood also known as high blood glucose.  Serious complications can arise from the condition, such as nerve, kidney or eye damage and cardiovascular disease.  Diabetes affects 30.3 million Americans, or about 9.4 percent of the U.S. population.  Nearly one in four adults living with diabetes, or 7.2 million Americans, are unaware that they have the disease.  In addition, 84.1 million Americans aged 18 years or older have prediabetes – blood glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Glucose is a source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues.  It is absorbed into the bloodstream from foods that have been consumed.  The liver also stores and makes glucose to keep the glucose level within a normal range.  Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, assists in moving glucose from the blood into the cells to be used for energy.  When the body does not make enough or does not use insulin well, glucose levels in the blood rise to unsafe levels.

There are several different types of diabetes.  Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, though it often appears during childhood or adolescence.  The immune system normally protects against harmful bacteria or viruses, but type 1 diabetes causes it to attack and destroy the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.  A person diagnosed with type 1 diabetes requires daily doses of insulin for survival.  Though the exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, it is believed to be caused by a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors.

Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent and can develop at any age, though it is more common in people over the age of 45.  Cells become resistant to insulin causing sugar to build up in the blood stream.  It is believed that genetic and environmental factors also play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes.  Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include being overweight, inactivity and high blood pressure.

Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by healthy lifestyle choices.  Eating healthy foods lower in fat, sugar, simple carbohydrates or calories and high in fiber, being physically active for 30 minutes a day, and losing excess weight are natural ways to improve glucose tolerance.  By increasing exercise, the body uses insulin more efficiently, for up to 70 hours after the exercise period has occurred.  Thus, exercising three to four times per week would be beneficial for most people.  For those at risk for diabetes, weight loss can improve insulin sensitivity as well as delay, and possibly prevent, progression of the disease.  Medication may be an option as well.

Diabetes symptoms vary depending on how elevated the blood sugar becomes.  Some people, especially those with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, may not experience symptoms initially.  In type 1 diabetes, symptoms tend to develop quickly and be more severe.
Some of the signs and symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Extreme hunger
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Blurred vision
• Slow-healing sores
• Frequent infections, such as gum, skin, or vaginal infections