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Posted 2/25/2010 @ 10:08:07 am by SeniorsNutritionAndHealth/Susan |
The fastest growing population in the United States is our senior citizens. The number of diabetics in this population is growing as well. Health care personnel believe that because of medical challenges with the elderly, health care costs, long-term complications and the growing number of seniors that are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the prevention of clinical diabetes has become extremely important. Diabetes is a condition which the body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin which helps cells absorb glucose and turn it into energy. It is estimated that 57 million Americans have pre-diabetes, a condition that occurs when blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to diagnosis as type 2 diabetes. This is America’s largest healthcare epidemic. Most of those 57 million people are destined to develop type 2 diabetes as they get older. Experts state that poor life style choices while we are younger increase our risk of developing diabetes as we age. Even as we age, our lifestyle factors such as physical activity, dietary habits, smoking, alcohol use and body fat are common risk factors in all cases of new-onset diabetes. The signs and symptoms of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are the same; frequent urination, unquenchable thirst, losing weight without trying, weakness and fatigue, tingling or numbness in hands and feet, blurred vision, dry itchy skin, frequent infections or cuts and bruises that take a long time to heal.
All types of diabetes are treatable with insulin, but there is no cure for it, except a pancreas transplant. Diabetes and the treatment for it can cause many health complications; some complications that are more serious than others can have a long-term or permanent affect, especially in seniors if the disease is not controlled. Diabetes is the most significant cause of adult blindness, and the leading cause of non-traumatic amputations
