Family Doctor 2007 - (Page 99) common conditions DIABETES Thanks to record levels of obesity in America, type 2 diabetes is on the rise. Certain people are also more at risk of diabetes than others. If you’re at risk, there are lifestyle changes you can make to help you stay healthy. By Sarah Smiley Young Staying fit and healthy can help you to prevent the onset of diabetes. Diabetes: Assessing your risk I f you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough of a hormone called insulin, or your body doesn’t use the insulin it has the right way. Insulin helps the body use sugar (glucose) for either do not have enough insulin, or their cells ignore the insulin they have. Nearly 95% of people who have diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This is sometimes also called “non-insulin dependent” or “adult-onset” diabetes. energy. Left untreated, diabetes can result in blindness, nerve and blood vessel damage that leads to foot or leg amputation, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and death. There are 2 types of diabetes. Type 1 occurs when the body doesn’t make insulin at all. People who have type 2 diabetes Know your risk You are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes if it runs in your family, or if you’re African American, Hispanic American/Latino, Native familydoctor 2007 99
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