PATHWAYS
Your monthly guide to better health and peak performance.
SEPT. 2018 /
ISSUE 04
The dangers of diabetes – they affect you even if you don’t have diabetes. About one in ten (30.3 million) people in the U.S. live with diabetes. Of those, 7.2 million people are undiagnosed. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. What’s alarming is that 84.1 million adults aged 18 years or older have prediabetes.
3 mind-blowing statics about diabetes: 1
9 out of 10 people don’t know they have prediabetes. Prediabetes means your blood glucose (sugar) is higher than normal, but not yet diabetes.
2
Adults with diabetes have a 50% higher risk of death than adults without diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes are at significantly higher risk for stroke, heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease than the nondiabetic population.
3
Medical costs for people with diabetes are more than twice as high compared to those who do not have diabetes. The good news is you can prevent diabetes by making changes to your lifestyle. Things, like losing weight, eating healthier, and doing regular physical activity can stop your body from developing type 2 diabetes.
Risks of developing type 2 diabetes increases with age, obesity, and lack of physical activity. Your family history and health problems such as high blood pressure also contribute to your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, you can work with a health professional, continue to eat healthy, and stay active to help manage your disease.
What is diabetes? Diabetes is a chronic condition, where glucose (sugar) levels in your blood are higher than usual. Your body depends on glucose for energy. When you have diabetes, your body has trouble turning glucose into energy. Instead of being used by your body, the glucose builds up in your blood, and your body is starved of energy.
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