Diabetes - What You Can Do
Unfortunately, as you get older, your risk for diabetes increases. But there is good news: diabetes can be prevented.
Diabetes is a serious disease, growing at epidemic rates, with one million new cases each year. The disease affects 18-20% of people over age 65 in the United States, with a substantial percentage of these cases being undiagnosed.
| There are two types of diabetes | |
| Type 1 | Type 1 diabetes results from the body's failure to produce insulin. |
| Type 2 | In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin, or the cells ignore the insulin. This is by far the most common form of diabetes in the United States, and it is highly affected by factors such as weight, activity levels - two lifestyle choices over which we have control. |
Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes
Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have "pre-diabetes," in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Research has also shown that if you take action to manage your blood glucose when you have pre-diabetes, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from ever developing.
To take the fist step toward prevention, talk to your health care provider about your risk for pre-diabetes:
- Age - Risk increases with age (especially 45 years and older).
- Weight - Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or higher (23 or higher if Asian American, 26 or higher if Pacific Islander). Ask your provider to calculate it for you.
- Family History of Diabetes - Having a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.
- Race/Ethnicity - African American, American Indian.
- Blood Pressure - 140/90 or higher.
- Cholesterol - HDL cholesterol less than 40 for men and less than 50 for women; triglyceride level of 250 or higher.
- Inactive Lifestyle - Exercises fewer than three times a week.
What You Can Do - Tips for Prevention
If you feel you may be at risk for pre-diabetes, there are a number of small lifestyle changes - in diet and physical activity level - that can prevent and reduce your risk for the disease.
A recent Diabetes Prevention Program study showed that just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day, coupled with a 5-10% reduction in body weight, produced a 58% reduction in diabetes.
If you are not very active, start off slowly with an activity that gets you moving for 10 minutes a day, five days a week. Then, build up to the recommended 30 minutes. Moving around, even for only a few minutes a day, is a healthy start to becoming more fit and preventing diabetes.
Ask your health care provider if you should be tested for diabetes. Discuss steps you can take to prevent it, and work with your health care provider to set goals for weight loss and physical activity.
Sources: American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org); National Diabetes Education Program.
This information has been contributed by the December 2006 issue of Insight, a publication by Transamerica Affinity Services, the AICPA Medicare Supplement Insurance Program provider.
The Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan is available to both AICPA members and their spouses who are at least 65 years of age. With the AICPA Parents Plan, you have the opportunity to extend coverage to the eligible parents of you and your spouse.
This information has been contributed by Insight, a quarterly AICPA Medicare Supplement Insurance Program publication, February 2006 Issue, version F7801.
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