Diabetes is a disease that affects nearly 10% of the U.S. population, and yet it’s a disease that so few people understand. Here are a few important facts you need to know about diabetes:
1. Diabetes is caused by resistance to insulin.
Insulin is the hormone that regulates blood sugar. When you eat food, your body turns carbs and fats into blood sugar. When sugar levels rises, insulin helps to lower blood sugar. Persistent high levels of blood sugar cause your body to become desensitized to the messages transmitted by insulin, thus causing you to become insulin-resistant.
2. A surprising number of people in the U.S. have diabetes and don’t know it.
According to the CDC, roughly 8.1 million diabetics go undiagnosed.
3. Diabetes is becoming a serious threat.
It’s estimated by the World Health Organization that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in the next 15 years. The total number of deaths caused by diabetes is projected to rise by 50% in the next decade alone.
4. A staggering number of people in the world suffer from diabetes.
According to the WHO, nearly 350 million people in the world have diabetes. If diabetes was a country, it would have a bigger population than the United States!
5. Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form.
6. Even when not fatal, diabetes can cause pretty serious problems.
Diabetes is one of the primary causes of kidney failure, amputation, and blindness.
7. Losing weight is the easiest way to prevent and treat diabetes.
Even just losing 10 to 15 pounds can help to reduce your risk of diabetes drastically, or deal with an existing condition.
8. Diabetes is an expensive health problem.
It’s estimated that diabetes costs the U.S. around $245 billion dollars in 2012.
9. Men with diabetes have it bad!
It’s estimated that roughly 50 to 80 percent of the men suffering from diabetes will develop erectile dysfunction. Men with diabetes also develop ED problems roughly 10 to 15 years earlier than those who do not.
resources:
[1] Adamec, Christine. 2002. The Encyclopedia of Diabetes. New York, NY: Facts on File, Inc.