Wednesday 16 April 2008

Diabetes and Sugar

Diabetes is diagnosed when fasting blood sugar is 126 mg/dl or higher or when any blood sugar is 200 mg/dl or more. If the result is above these numbers, the test should be repeated. Diabetes is also getting more common. This increase is linked to the rise in obesity levels.

Diabetes is a self-managed disease because people with diabetes must take responsibility for their day-to-day care. Much of the daily care involves keeping blood glucose near normal levels at all times.

Diabetic problems are not just a sugar problem. It causes a chain reaction of problems with the body and therefore must be treated holistically. Diabetic problems: 1) For every pound of muscle on the body, you must consume one gram of protein daily to be healthy. As a diabetic, you are allowed 40 total grams of carbohydrates per day.

Wednesday 2 April 2008

International Diabetes Federation

Diabetes is particularly common among middle-aged and older adults. According to IHS, the age adjusted diabetes mortality rate was at 70 percent for AIANs in 2004 while it was 20 percent all races nationally. Diabetes is increasing faster in the world’s developing economies than in developed countries.

Seven out of ten countries with the highest number of people living with diabetes are in the developing world. Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death in Ohio and the sixth leading cause of death listed on death certificates in the United States. It is also very costly.

Diabetes is a growing global health threat. In 2007, the International Diabetes Federation estimated 246 million people with diabetes around the world. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood.

Type 1 diabetes is growing by 3% per year in children and adolescents, and at an alarming 5% per year among pre-school children. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in Canada and the cost of diabetes is estimated to be up to $9 billion a year.