Pre-diabetes is a term used to distinguish people who have higher than normal blood glucose levels, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Progression to diabetes among those with pre-diabetes is not inevitable. Studies suggest weight loss (even just 5%) and increased physical activity among people with pre-diabetes prevents or delays diabetes and may return blood glucose levels to normal.
If you are overweight, physically inactive, and have a family history of diabetes, you may be at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
To learn more about pre-diabetes and to see if you may be at risk for developing diabetes, visit this site.
Some women develop gestational diabetes late in pregnancy. Although this form of diabetes usually disappears after the birth of the baby, women who have had gestational diabetes have a 20 to 50 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years. Maintaining a reasonable body weight and being physically active may help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
Three to eight percent of pregnant women in the United States develop gestational diabetes. As with type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes occurs more often in some ethnic groups and among women with a family history of diabetes. Gestational diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin. Women with gestational diabetes may not experience any symptoms.
The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. 90-95 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is most often associated with genetics and lifestyle, and has even been nicknamed a “disease of lifestyles.”
In type 2 diabetes, there is a problem with the action of insulin. The pancreas becomes insulin resistant. This usually occurs with excess weight and physical inactivity. Type 2 diabetes has a higher inheritance risk than type 1 diabetes.
Common factors that are associated with type 2 diabetes include:
- Obesity
- Family history of diabetes
- Previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes
- Physical inactivity
- Race/ethnicity
- Age (>40 years)
Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents, and if current trends continue, one in three children will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. Populations most at risk for developing type 2 diabetes are Native Americans, African Americans, and Latinos.
To learn more about type 2 diabetes, visit the CDC’s website on the subject.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease which occurs primarily in children and young adults under the age of 40. However, disease onset can occur at any age. An autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system turns against a part of the body. In diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the islet cells which produce insulin in the pancreas. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin. A person who has type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily. Although the cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, there are three factors which play a part in determining why a person develops diabetes:
- Genetic or inherited factors
- Self-allergy
- Environmental damage
Type I diabetes accounts for 5-10 percent of those diagnosed with diabetes in the United States.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include:
- Frequent thirst and urination
- Constant hunger
- Weight loss
- Blurred vision
- Extreme fatigue
- Wetting the bed in children who were dry through the night
Populations most at risk for developing type 1 diabetes include those of Northern European ancestry.
To learn more about type 1 diabetes, visit the CDC’s website on the subject.
