By Jennifer L. Hsieh, DO, medical director, Diabetes Program, Long Beach Memorial  |  Nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes. Of that population, one in four people don’t know they have it. At higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes are the 86 million Americans who have pre-diabetes.

Educating yourself now about diabetes and the relationship between diabetes and your lifestyle choices may make a difference in your long-term health.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a group of conditions in which blood sugar levels are unusually high. The body stops making enough insulin or cells have trouble using insulin. Therefore, the cells don’t receive enough sugar for energy and the sugar builds up in the blood.

Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in young people under age 30, but can occur at any age. The pancreas no longer makes insulin, so people with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin to live. Symptoms develop quickly.

With Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still makes insulin but the body has trouble using it and it can take years before you have symptoms and are diagnosed.

Pre-diabetes is when you have blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Having pre-diabetes doesn’t mean you will automatically be diagnosed with Type 2 in the future.

Reduce Your Risk

  • Weight Loss: Improves insulin resistance and reduces hypertension. People who are overweight or obese should try to maintain a healthy body weight. Even a small amount of weight loss can help prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes.

  • Physical Activity: Aerobic exercise makes your heart and bones strong, relieves stress and improves blood circulation. It lowers your risk for Type 2 diabetes by keeping your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels on target. Aim for 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week.

  • Balanced Diet: Learn to eat regular meals, control the amount you eat and make healthy food choices. Eat a variety of foods each day, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Use low-fat dairy products and lean meats.

  • Smoking: Smoking puts you at risk for many chronic diseases. Smoking increases abdominal fat accumulation and insulin resistance.

  • Blood Pressure: Blood pressure measures the amount of force it takes the heart to pump blood through the body. High blood pressure increases a person’s risk of diabetes. Healthy blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg.

  • Healthy Arteries: Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol, can lead to a build-up of cholesterol in the arteries. In general, the lower your LDL the better. High-density lipoproteins (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, helps remove cholesterol from your body. In general, the higher your HDL the better.

  • Family History: Knowing your family history might be one of the strongest influences on understanding your risk. It’s helpful in determining the kind of lifestyle and behaviors you should adopt.

When you have diabetes, it puts you at higher risk for developing other serious health problems. If you understand these risks, you can take steps now to lower your chance of developing diabetes or having diabetes-related complications in the future. MemorialCare.org/LBDiabetes.