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Basics About Diabetes from the Centers
for Disease Control & Prevention
• What is diabetes?
• What are the symptoms
of diabetes?
• What are the types of
diabetes?
• What are the risk factors
for diabetes?
• What is the treatment
for diabetes?
• What causes type 1 diabetes?
• Can diabetes be prevented?
• Is there a cure for diabetes?
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels
are above normal. Most of the food we eat is turned
into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for
energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the
stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help
glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you
have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough
insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as
it should. This causes sugar to build up in your
blood.
Diabetes can cause serious health complications
including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure,
and lower-extremity amputations. Diabetes is the
sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
People who think they might have diabetes must visit
a physician for diagnosis. They might have SOME
or NONE of the following symptoms:
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Frequent urination |
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Excessive thirst |
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Unexplained weight loss |
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Extreme hunger |
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Sudden vision changes |
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Tingling or numbness in hands or feet |
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Feeling very tired much of the time |
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Very dry skin |
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Sores that are slow to heal |
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More infections than usual. Nausea, vomiting,
or stomach pains may accompany some of these
symptoms in the abrupt onset of insulin-dependent
diabetes, now called type 1 diabetes. |
What are the types of diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes, which was previously called insulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes,
may account for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases
of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, which was previously
called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)
or adult-onset diabetes, may account for about 90%
to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Gestational
diabetes is a type of diabetes that only pregnant
women get. If not treated, it can cause problems
for mothers and babies. Gestational diabetes develops
in 2% to 5% of all pregnancies but usually disappears
when a pregnancy is over. Other specific types of
diabetes resulting from specific genetic syndromes,
surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other
illnesses may account for 1% to 2% of all diagnosed
cases of diabetes.
What are the risk factors for
diabetes?
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age,
obesity, family history of diabetes, prior history
of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance,
physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. African
Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians,
and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are
at particularly high risk for type 2 diabetes.
Risk factors are less well defined for type 1 diabetes
than for type 2 diabetes, but autoimmune, genetic,
and environmental factors are involved in developing
this type of diabetes.
Gestational diabetes occurs more frequently in African
Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians,
and people with a family history of diabetes than
in other groups. Obesity is also associated with
higher risk. Women who have had gestational diabetes
are at increased risk for later developing type
2 diabetes. In some studies, nearly 40% of women
with a history of gestational diabetes developed
diabetes in the future.
Other specific types of diabetes, which may account
for 1% to 2% of all diagnosed cases, result from
specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition,
infections, and other illnesses.
What is the treatment for diabetes?
Healthy eating, physical activity, and insulin injections
are the basic therapies for type 1 diabetes. The
amount of insulin taken must be balanced with food
intake and daily activities. Blood glucose levels
must be closely monitored through frequent blood
glucose testing.
Healthy eating, physical activity, and blood glucose
testing are the basic therapies for type 2 diabetes.
In addition, many people with type 2 diabetes require
oral medication, insulin, or both to control their
blood glucose levels.
People with diabetes must take responsibility for
their day-to-day care, and keep blood glucose levels
from going too low or too high.
People with diabetes should see a health care provider
who will monitor their diabetes control and help
them learn to manage their diabetes. In addition,
people with diabetes may see endocrinologists, who
may specialize in diabetes care; ophthalmologists
for eye examinations; podiatrists for routine foot
care; and dietitians and diabetes educators who
teach the skills needed for daily diabetes management.
The Diabetes Overview fact sheet from the National
Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
(http://www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/overview/index.htm)
has additional information.
What causes type 1 diabetes?
The causes of type 1 diabetes appear to be much
different than those for type 2 diabetes, though
the exact mechanisms for developing both diseases
are unknown. The appearance of type 1 diabetes is
suspected to follow exposure to an "environmental
trigger," such as an unidentified virus, stimulating
an immune attack against the beta cells of the pancreas
(that produce insulin) in some genetically predisposed
people.
Can diabetes be prevented?
A number of studies have shown that regular physical
activity can significantly reduce the risk of developing
type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes also appears to
be associated with obesity. Researchers are making
progress in identifying the exact genetics and "triggers"
that predispose some individuals to develop type
1 diabetes, but prevention remains elusive.
Is there a cure for diabetes?
In response to the growing health burden of diabetes,
the diabetes community has three choices: prevent
diabetes; cure diabetes; and improve the quality
of care of people with diabetes to prevent devastating
complications. All three approaches are actively
being pursued by the US Department of Health and
Human Services.
Both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
are involved in prevention activities. The NIH is
involved in research to cure both type 1 and type
2 diabetes, especially type 1. CDC focuses most
of its programs on being sure that the proven science
is put into daily practice for people with diabetes.
The basic idea is that if all the important research
and science are not applied meaningfully in the
daily lives of people with diabetes, then the research
is, in essence, wasted.
Several approaches to "cure" diabetes
are being pursued:
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Pancreas transplantation |
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Islet cell transplantation (islet
cells produce insulin) |
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Artificial pancreas development |
Each of these approaches still has a lot of challenges,
such as preventing immune rejection; finding an
adequate number of insulin cells; keeping cells
alive; and others. But progress is being made in
all areas. |
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