November is American Diabetes Month®, a time to raise awareness about diabetes as it is one of the fastest growing chronic diseases in the world. According to the National Diabetes Association, nearly one in two Americans has diabetes or prediabetes.
In Iowa approximately 10.1 per cent of the adult population is diagnosed with diabetes, with an additional 70,000 people living with diabetes but not knowing it.
The Mayo Clinic newsletter writes, “You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you have a family history of diabetes, are overweight, or are 35 or older. Physical inactivity, race, ethnicity, and certain health problems also affect your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. A history of an elevated blood sugar during pregnancy, known as gestational diabetes, is a risk factor for the parent as well as the child”.
Starting to get into the weeds, but the symptoms of diabetes are the three P’s. Polydipsia, excessive thirst; polyuria, excessive urination; and polyphagia, increased hunger.
I have vivid recall of the late Dr. David Lohr, speaking to the Greene County Historical Society. He spoke of his physician grandfather being unable to treat patients whose bodies could not process sugars. This was before insulin was discovered by Fredrick Banging in 1921 and became a treatment in 1923. Individuals were instructed to consume vinegar as a means of lowering their blood sugar.
A person with normal blood sugar levels has a glucose range of 72-99 mg/dL. A person with prediabetes has a higher-than-normal blood sugar, but does not exhibit symptoms.
My mother, a diagnosed diabetic, would strictly follow a low sugar diet, and have low carbohydrate intake prior to seeing the physician for a blood draw. That all changed when the A1C blood test became available.
The term A1C refers to a hemoglobin(red blood cell) that has glucose attached to it. The A1C test measures the percentage of hemoglobin that is glycated, providing an average blood sugar level over the past 2-3 months. Mother did not change her dietary intake and eventually had to have insulin injections prior to meals.
An A1C of less than 5.7 means no diabetes, while 5.7-6.4 signals prediabetes, and 6.5 or higher indicates diabetes.
Interestingly, when I had an arthritic ankle replaced, the orthopedic surgeon wanted to know if I was diabetic as individuals with elevated blood sugars tend to heal at a much slower rate. Luckily, I did not have diabetes and had a good outcome following surgery.
While this column is being shared to raise your awareness of diabetes it is not intended to frighten you. Lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet and increased exercise along with following the recommendations given as medical treatment will result in keeping an elevated blood sugar at bay.
VIEW FROM MY WINDOW is shared by Mary Weaver, a former public health nurse who lives near Rippey.
