It is, however, a disease that can be managed to minimize long-term effects and maximize current good health, said Mary Meck Higgins, Kansas State University nutrition educator. Higgins also is a certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian.

Two out of 25 adults age 20 and older have diabetes. Early warning signs or symptoms of the disease – blurred vision; excessive thirst; itching; a wound that is slow to heal; frequent urinary tract infections; nausea and/or vomiting – often go unnoticed (sometimes for years) or are ignored, she said.

A simple, inexpensive blood test can confirm the diagnosis or rule it out. Screening for diabetes is recommended for everyone who is age 45 years or older, Higgins said.

More than five million people are thought to be unaware they have Type 2 diabetes. The disease affects children and adults. Trend-watchers are particularly concerned about the increasing numbers of children who are developing Type 2 diabetes, which was primarily seen in adults.

A sedentary lifestyle and obesity have been identified as contributing factors. A family history of diabetes also increases the likelihood of developing the disease. Persons from certain ethnic groups – Native Americans, Latinos, African Americans and Asian Americans – have a greater risk of developing the disease.

"Diabetes can be particularly devastating for children. Complications from uncontrolled diabetes may not show up until 20 or more years after the onset of the disease. A child who is diagnosed with diabetes at age six or eight may experience complications, like blindness, before they are age 30, if they have a history of unmanaged high blood sugars," Higgins said.

"The earlier diabetes is diagnosed, the better. Managing the disease successfully can minimize long-term, life-changing effects. For example, during one study involving 1,440 volunteers with Type 1 diabetes, maintaining blood sugar levels in close-to-normal ranges slowed complications in the circulatory system by 35 percent; in the kidneys by 50 percent; in the nerves by 60 percent; and in the eyes by 76 percent."

Eating regular meals, monitoring blood sugar levels and exercising often are the primary requirements in managing the disease successfully. Since many people with diabetes also are overweight, reducing portion sizes of certain foods in order to decrease weight also can be helpful in controlling diabetes successfully, the nutrition educator said.

For more information on diabetes and the relationship between food, nutrition, and health, contact a health care professional or the local K-State Research and Extension office.

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Diabetes is a serious disease that is characterized by high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). The disease results from a defect in the body’s ability to produce or use insulin.

What is insulin?

Insulin, which is produced by the pancreas, helps convert food (dietary protein, carbohydrates and fat) into energy. Insulin also is necessary for normal liver function and many other bodily functions.

Are there different types of diabetes?

The most common types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 diabetes was called "juvenile-onset" or "insulin-dependent" diabetes. This type of diabetes typically affects children and young adults who are slim. They are unable to produce insulin and need to take insulin in order to stay alive. Approximately one million people – 25 percent of whom are minorities – in the U.S. suffer from type 1 diabetes. On average, 30,000 people are diagnosed each year, with thirteen thousand of these being children.

Type 2 diabetes was previously called "non-insulin-dependent" or "adult-onset" diabetes. Type 2 diabetes usually is a result of insulin resistance, when the body does not use insulin properly. Like Type 1 diabetes, it is a serious, progressive condition with potentially devastating complications.

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. If untreated, it can pose dangers for mother and the unborn baby, including excessive growth in the baby and a risk of diabetes and obesity later in the baby’s life. Up to 10 percent of pregnant women suffer from gestational diabetes.

The liver may play a key role in the development of diabetes. It is a primary location for glucose storage and major site where insulin is degraded. Insulin resistance in the liver may be a later factor in the development of diabetes; it causes the liver to overproduce glucose. The result is a high blood sugar level.

Source: Mary Meck Higgins, Certified Diabetes Educator, K-State Research and Extension

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In the U.S., during the next 24 hours, 1,800 people will be diagnosed with diabetes. Thirty percent of newly-diagnosed diabetics are adolescents. Another 1,800 people will get the disease, but not know it for as many as 12 years. Sixty-five people will be blinded by it; 55 will suffer kidney failure; 150 will have amputations, and 1,000 people will die from the disease.

People with diabetes need nursing home care at a younger age. They currently represent 18 percent of nursing home residents.

Diabetes can, however, be managed to minimize long-term effects and maximize current good health and vitality.

Source: Mary Meck Higgins, Certified Diabetes Educator, K-State Research and Extension 

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus in Manhattan.