Diabetes

Awareness

Month

Resources:

The following tip sheets and resources for preventing and living with diabetes.

There are three main types of diabetes – type 1, type 2 and gestational.  (International Diabetes Federation)

• Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, but occurs most frequently in children and adolescents. When you have type 1 diabetes, your body produces very little or no insulin, which means that you need daily insulin injections to maintain blood glucose levels under control. Learn more.

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• Type 2 diabetes is more common in adults and accounts for around 90% of all diabetes cases. When you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not make good use of the insulin that it produces. The cornerstone of type 2 diabetes treatment is healthy lifestyle, including increased physical activity and healthy diet. However, over time most people with type 2 diabetes will require oral drugs and/or insulin to keep their blood glucose levels under control. Learn more.

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• Gestational diabetes (GDM) is a type of diabetes that consists of high blood glucose during pregnancy and is associated with complications to both mother and child. GDM usually disappears after pregnancy but women affected and their children are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Learn more.

Diabetes in the U.S.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

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Diabetes

34.2 million people have diabetes

That’s about 1 in every 10 people

1 in 5 don’t know they have diabetes

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Prediabetes

88 million adults – more than 1 in 3  – have prediabetes

More than 8 in 10 adults don’t know they have prediabetes

If you have prediabetes, losing weight by eating healthy and being more active can cut your risk of getting type 2 diabetes in half.

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Cost

$327 billion total medical costs and lost work and wages for people with diagnosed diabetes.

Risk of early death for adults with diabetes is 60% higher than for adults without diabetes.

Medical costs for people with diabetes are more than twice as high as for people without diabetes.

People who have diabetes are at higher risk of serious health complications:

• blindness

• kidney failure

• heart disease

• stroke

• loss of toes, feet, or legs

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What can you do?

You can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes

• lose weight if needed

• eat healthy

• be more active