Diabetes - Type 2

Who gets diabetes?

Diabetes is not contagious. People cannot “catch” it from each other. However, certain factors can increase the risk of developing diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes occurs equally among males and females but is more common in whites than in non-whites. Data from the World Health Organization’s Multinational Project for Childhood Diabetes indicate that type 1 diabetes is rare in most African, American Indian, and Asian populations. However, some northern European countries, including Finland and Sweden, have high rates of type 1 diabetes. The reasons for these differences are unknown. Type 1 diabetes develops most often in children but can occur at any age.

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism—the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body.

After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.

Almost everyone knows someone who has diabetes. An estimated 20.8 million people in the United States—7.0 percent of the population—have diabetes, a serious, lifelong condition. Of those, 14.6 million have been diagnosed, and 6.2 million have not yet been diagnosed. In 2005, about 1.5 million people aged 20 or older were diagnosed with diabetes.

For additional statistics, see the National Diabetes Statistics fact sheet online at www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/statistics or call the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse at 1–800–860–8747 to request a copy.

On July 19th 2006, President Bush issued the first veto of his five-year-old administration, rejecting Congress' attempt to lift funding restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research.

Even though both the Republican-controlled House and Senate passed the stem-cell legislation by comfortable margins, they did not have the two-thirds majority required to override the veto.

Brussels has announced stricter and streamlined rules for the approval of pesticides for use in EU agriculture.

The European commission, on Wednesday, July 12, 2006, set out plans to ensure safer use of pesticides and to reduce red tape in authorisation procedures of plant protection products.

Men over 45 years of age who have osteoporosis should probably have their testosterone level checked. Hypogonadism (low testosterone level)
has been linked to both osteoporosis and depression.

Men with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides levels, and diabetes are more likely to have low testosterone.

Obesity during pregnancy and delivery has become a major concern of obstetricians.

A study by The British Columbia Reproductive Care Program researchers, based at BC Women's Hospital, indicates that "... obese women face numerous risks of complications and adverse conditions, including a far greater incidence of gestational hypertension and diabetes."

National air quality maps and a summary by AirNow tell you whether the air in your area is good, unhealthy, unhealthy for sensitive people, hazardous, etc. Ozone and particulate levels are given for specific cities.

"Government recommendations urge consumers to limit daily trans fat intake to no more than 1% of total calories. That comes to 2 grams per day for the average recommended 2,000-calorie daily diet... a KFC meal including three pieces of extra-crispy chicken contains 15 grams of trans fat, while a single pot pie contains 14 grams, charged the Center for Science in the Public Interest."

According to an article by HeartCenterOnline, "Being overweight and obese has long been associated with an increased risk of heart disease. " Being overweight as a teen leads to an increased risk of disease later in life.