Basic Facts about Type 2 Diabetes and Risk Factors
View the video by clicking here: Type 2 Diabetes with Dewana Monroe
In our centers we have a patient-centered approach to care, and our job is to assist our patients to better self-manage their diseases, to participate and become involved in their care and to hopefully delay or prevent serious health complications.
What can you tell us about the most recent number of cases of Diabetes now in America?
According to the American Diabetes Association and Centers for Disease Control,
- More than 30 million people have diabetes, or about 9.4% of the US population. Most of these or 23.1 million people are adults aged 18 years or older who have been diagnosed, however, diabetes is seen in all ages, races and ethnicities. In the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than tripled.
- While about 5% of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes, the majority, or 90-95% of all diabetes cases, have type 2 diabetes.
- A concern is that there are approximately 7.2 million people (1 out of 4) who have diabetes but are undiagnosed and do not know they have diabetes.
- Also, there are approximately 84.1 million adults aged 18 years or older who have prediabetes (more than 1 out of 3). Prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.
What causes a person to be at risk for developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes?
The most common risk factors are persons who are
- Overweight
- Are age 45 or older
- Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
- Are physically active less than 3 times a week
- Have ever had diabetes while pregnant or given birth to a baby weight more than 9 pounds.
What can these persons with Diabetes and/or Prediabetes do?
The good news is that persons with prediabetes can make lifestyle changes to improve their blood sugar levels. Persons with prediabetes can cut their risk of getting type 2 diabetes in half by, for example, losing weight if needed, eating healthy and being more active.
Persons with diabetes can manage their diabetes by working with their healthcare provider, eating healthy, and staying active.
To learn more about being screened for Type 2 diabetes or to learn about the diabetes education program, contact Dewana Monroe at dmonroe@nfmc.org.