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Diabetes symptoms are easy to miss, but it's becoming more vital than ever to recognize the signs. According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30.3 million people in the U.S. have diabetes as of 2015, but nearly a quarter of those people (7.2 million) are undiagnosed. In addition to that, about a third of U.S. adults (84.1 million) have prediabetes, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, yet only 11.6 percent of them reported being told by a doctor that they have it.

However, we know that the overwhelming majority of diabetes cases is type 2, a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar. According to the report, only about 5 percent of U.S. adults are thought to have type 1 diabetes, a chronic condition that typically develops in childhood in which a persons pancreas produces little or no insulin.

Rates of diabetes tend to increase with age. According to the report, 4 percent of adults aged 1844 had diabetes; 17 percent of 45- to 64-year-olds had the condition; and 25 percent of people 65 and up had diabetes. The rates of diagnoses were also higher among American Indians/Alaska Natives, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics when compared to Asians and non-Hispanic whites. New diabetes diagnoses were steady, but the researchers point out that diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2015, which isnt something to take lightly.

Complications from diabetes include heart and blood vessel disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, eye problems (including blindness), and foot damage (even leading to amputation), among other issues when left untreated, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Its likely due to a few reasons, Ann Albright, Ph.D., R.D., director of the CDCs division of diabetes translation and a coauthor of the report, tells SELF. Type 2 diabetes symptoms can be difficult to identify, she says, and initially include increased thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite, and fatigue. Diabetes symptoms often come on slowly and can be mistaken for a lot of other issues. Anybody could think their symptoms are due to something else, Dr. Albright says. What person isnt fatigued?

People also may not visit their doctor as often as they should and, if theyre not being monitored by a physician, they wont know that something is off, she says.

While about 7.2 million people with diabetes dont know they have it, thats better than 20 or 30 years ago when about half of people with diabetes werent aware of it, Robert M Cohen, M.D., an endocrinologist at UC Health and professor of medicine in the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, tells SELF. A lot more people have diabetes butmany more of them know they have it and have the opportunity to take action, he says. Most people who know they have diabetes and are under a doctors care can manage well with the disease, Marc Leavey, M.D., an internist at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, tells SELF. But you have to know that you have diabetes in order to control it," he says.

While genetics can be a factor, type 2 diabetes prevention largely relies on lifestyle. Its important that we as a country take lifestyle seriously, Dr. Albright says.The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends ways to lower your risk, including watching your food portions, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet thats heavy on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and avoiding sugar-laden drinks like soda and juice. Of course, that can be easier said than done, especially if it means revamping a large part of your current lifestyle habits. But it can be done, and your doctor can help. If you're concerned about your diabetes risk, talk to your primary care physician. They should be able to order testing to see where you're at and proceed with next steps if the diagnosis is positive.

The numbers are startling, Dr. Albright says. We must get a handle on this.

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Nearly a Quarter of People with Diabetes Don't Know They Have It - SELF

This entry was posted on August 5, 2017 at 4:44 pm and is filed under Diabetes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |