Prevention: Diabetes

Another spring-like day in my town, and the Riverwalk was calling my name. And it apparenty called many others' names, for the path was crowded this afternoon with joggers, walkers and cyclists. Got to thinking about diabetes, which is the fifth-leading cause of death in this country. Type 1, often called juvenile diabetes, is not preventable; you are born with it. The more common form is Type 2, which is most often associated with a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight and inactive. Both are controlled by various measures.
With Type 1, the body does not produce insulin. With Type 2, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar. Sugar is the basic fuel for the cells in the body, and insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems:
*Right away, your cells may be starved for energy.
*Over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.
Thanks to The American Diabetes Association for the info.
Certain minority groups are at higher risk: African-Americans and Latinos and Hispanics are among them.
And, it was a shock to learn that a full 7 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association Web site contains a wealth of information. Also, about a year ago, the New York Times ran a series of articles about the disease, which it described as epidemic, and which you can access here.
If you are not a Type 1 diabetic and have not been diagnosed with Type 2, the research says the best things you can do are keep active and maintain a healthy weight. See you outside. Unless it's raining, and unless we're at the gym.