Diabetes
Nearly 16 million people in the United States--nearly one out of every 17 people--have . And about 1,800 new cases are diagnosed each day.
Technically, this disease is known as " mellitus," from the Greek for excessive urination, a symptom the ancients noticed, and mellitus, from the Latin for honey--diabetic urine is filled with sugar and is sweet.
There are three types of : type 1, type 2, and gestational . All of them are a little different. But everyone with has one thing in common: Little or no ability to move sugar--or glucose--out of their blood into their cells, where it is the body's primary fuel.
Everyone has glucose in their blood, whether or not they have . This glucose ...
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("hyper" = too much, "glycemia" = glucose in the blood). Hyperglycemia causes intense thirst, the need to urinate frequently, blurred vision, fatigue, and other symptoms. Over time, high blood glucose can cause very serious medical problems.
Adding up the total toll of complications, the disease is one of the nation's leading causes of death. All complications can be largely prevented by practicing what is known as "tight control," keeping your blood glucose level as close to normal as possible. This takes time and energy, but many diabetics do it successfully and live full lives without much trouble.
Scientists don't know exactly what causes , but it appears to result from a combination of genetics and environmental factors, including viral infections, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle.
Currently, there is no cure for , but the good news is that the disease can be managed. People with can live rich, happy lives.
Type 1 and type 2 have different causes. Yet two ...
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of those who later got diabetes had certain autoantibodies in their blood for years before. (Antibodies are proteins that destroy bacteria or viruses. Autoantibodies are antibodies 'gone bad,' which attack the body's own tissues.)
Type 2 diabetes has a stronger genetic basis than type 1, yet it also depends more on environmental factors. Sound confusing? What happens is that a family history of type 2 diabetes is one of the strongest risk factors for getting the disease but it only seems to matter in people living a Western lifestyle.
Americans and Europeans eat too much fat and too little carbohydrate and fiber, and they get too little exercise. Type 2 diabetes is common in people ...
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Diabetes. (2006, September 21). Retrieved December 21, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Diabetes/52731
"Diabetes." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 21 Sep. 2006. Web. 21 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Diabetes/52731>
"Diabetes." Essayworld.com. September 21, 2006. Accessed December 21, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Diabetes/52731.
"Diabetes." Essayworld.com. September 21, 2006. Accessed December 21, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Diabetes/52731.
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