Diabetes Causes Effects and Treatment

Diabetes

Introduction

Diabetes is a disease that affects the way the body uses blood sugar. It is, moreover, a chronic health disease that, with health screenings, medication, diet, and exercise, can be controlled. The lack of education about the disease and appropriate healthcare for it results in a lower quality of life or premature death. According to the CDC (2022), approximately 122 million Americans are living with diabetes.

Normally, the body breaks down food into glucose, which is then used for energy. However, in people with diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin (a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar) or it can’t use insulin effectively. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood instead of being used for energy. Over time, this can lead to serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. Diabetes is a major public health problem in the United States and globally as well (Al-Lawati, 2017). About 9% of Americans have diabetes, and about one-third of those who have it do not even know it (CDC, 2022). The good news is that diabetes can be controlled through diet, exercise, and medication. By taking steps to control diabetes, people can reduce their risk of developing serious complications. This paper will describe the diagnostic criteria of diabetes as well as symptoms, the epidemiology of the disease, and who is most impacted.

Diagnosis and Symptoms

Diagnostic Criteria

The clinical/diagnostic criteria for the disease of diabetes mellitus are as follows: a fasting plasma glucose level ? 7.0 mmol/l (? 126 mg/dl), or a 2-hour plasma glucose level ? 11.1 mmol/l (? 200 mg/dl) during an oral glucose tolerance test, or symptoms of hyperglycemia with a random plasma glucose ? 11.1 mmol/l (? 200 mg/dl) (Bartoli et al., 2011; Rhee et al., 2019).

The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is the gold standard for diagnosing diabetes. It involves drinking a sugary drink and then having your blood sugar levels checked two hours later. If your blood sugar levels are high, it means you have diabetes. The OGTT is more accurate than the fasting plasma glucose test (FPG), which only checks blood sugar levels after one has fasted for eight hours. However, the OGTT is also more expensive and time-consuming. The random plasma glucose test is a test that is just as accurate as the OGTT and that involves checking the patient’s blood sugar levels after the patient has eaten or drank anything containing sugar (Rhee et al., 2019). If the patient’s blood sugar levels are high, it means the patient is not processing sugar efficiently and may have diabetes. Hyperglycemic readings after a random plasma glucose test are a good indication that a patient may be diabetic.

In addition, there are two sub-classifications of diabetes mellitus: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is characterized by insulin deficiency, while type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance. There are also two stage of diabetes mellitus, which are early stage andlate stage. Early stage diabetes is often asymptomatic, while late stage diabetes usually manifests with symptoms such as polyuria, polydipsia, and weight loss. Treatment for diabetes mellitus includes lifestyle modification (e.g., diet and exercise) and pharmacotherapy (e.g., insulin therapy).

Symptoms of Diabetes

Both types of diabetes can lead to a build-up of sugar in the blood, which can cause a range of symptoms. These may include increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, and some people may experience slow healing wounds and yeast infections as well. In some cases, diabetes can also lead to more serious complications such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage. For this reason, it is important for people who think they may have diabetes to see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Descriptive Epidemiology

Diabetes mellitus is a complex, chronic disease with a wide range of serious complications that disproportionately affects certain racial and ethnic group all over the world (Khan et al., 2019). The descriptive epidemiology of diabetes can help to better understand the burden of this disease and the factors that contribute to its development.

In the United States, Type 1 diabetes makes up about 5% of all cases while Type 2 diabetes accounts for 95% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). The onset of Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in childhood or adolescence, while Type 2 diabetes is typically diagnosed in adults over the age of 45.

Type 2 diabetes is more common in certain ethnic groups, including African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). The overall prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in the United States is about 8.5%, but it is much higher in some groups: 14.7% of African Americans, 12.8% of Hispanics/Latinos, 15.9% of American Indians, 10.5% of Asian Americans, and 11.8% of Pacific Islanders have been diagnosed with the condition (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022).

There are a number of factors that contribute to the development of Type 2 diabetes, including genetics, obesity, and lack of physical activity (CDC, 2022). People with a family history of the condition are more likely to develop it themselves, and obesity increases the risk by causing insulin resistance (CDC, 2022). Insulin resistance is when the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, which is needed to move sugar from the blood into cells for energy (CDC, 2022). Physical inactivity also contributes to insulin resistance as well as obesity (CDC, 2022).

The frequency of diabetes has increased dramatically over the past few decades. In 1980, 5.6 million people in the United States had been diagnosed with the condition (CDC, 2022). By 2013-2015, that number had more than tripled to 21.0 million (CDC, 2022). The increase is largely due to the rise in obesity rates over this time period: in 1980-2000, only 13% of adults were obese while 38% are obese as of 2016 (CDC, 2022; Hakkak & Bell, 2016). With obesity rates continuing to increase, it is likely that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes will continue to rise as well.

The age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes has increased significantly over the past several decades, from 3.5% in 1980 to 8.2% in 2014. The incidence of diabetes also differs by race and ethnicity, with rates highest among American Indians/Alaska Natives (17 cases per 1,000 population) and lowest among Asians (7 cases per 1,000 population).

While there are a number of risk factors for developing diabetes, including genetic predisposition, obesity, physical inactivity, and poor diet, the specific contributions of these factors also tend to vary by race and ethnicity. For example, while obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes among all groups, it is especially prevalent among blacks (87%), Hispanics (80%), and American Indians/Alaska Natives (79%). In contrast, physical inactivity is more important among whites (19%) than blacks (11%) or Hispanics (10%).

Globally, the situation is dire as well: According to the World Health Organization (n.d.), diabetes mellitus is a global public health emergency. In Europe, a 4% increase in cases year-over-year has been reported, and 3% rate increase globally (Forouhi & Wareham, 2010). The organization estimates that there are currently more than 422 million adults living with diabetes, and the number is rising. The WHO estimates that the direct and indirect costs of diabetes totaled $1.3 trillion in 2010. With the number of cases expected to rise in the coming years, it is clear that diabetes Mellitus presents a local and global public health emergency.

The descriptive epidemiology of diabetes can provide important insights into the burden of this disease and the factors that contribute to its development. This information can be used to inform prevention efforts and improve the overall health of affected populations.