Diabetes remains one of the most prominent diseases in America today. Here we’ll take a closer look at the disease and some ways you can manage it with healthy living and technology.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which a person has high blood sugar as a result of either an insulin deficiency or the body’s inability to properly respond to insulin.
Insulin – A hormone that converts sugar, starches, and other food components into energy
Glucose – The main sugar in your blood and your body’s main source of energy
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Diabetes appears in three main forms:
Type 1 – The pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin.
- Also known as juvenile diabetes, early-onset diabetes, insulin-dependent diabetes
- Affects about 5% of diabetics in America
- Requires regular insulin injections
Type 2 – Your body does not use insulin properly (known as insulin resistance).
- Most common form of diabetes
- Affects 90-95% of diabetics in America
- Often exacerbated by bad health, including:
- Physical inactivity
- Unhealthy diet
Gestational diabetes – Pregnant women may exhibit high blood glucose levels during pregnancy despite not having diabetes in the past.
- Affects up to 9.2% of pregnant women in the U.S.
- Affects women whose diets include more animal fat and cholesterol
- Can be controlled with:
- Exercise
- Healthy diet
- Glucose-controlling medications
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Prediabetes
Prediabetes describes a condition wherein blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to indicate diabetes.
- Puts you at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes
- Has no clear symptoms, though some patients with prediabetes exhibit some symptoms of diabetes
- About 86 million adults in the U.S. have prediabetes
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Diabetes in the U.S.
29.1 million people in the U.S. have diabetes.
8.1 million of those people are undiagnosed. That means 27.8% of people with diabetes don’t know they have it.
An estimated 208,000 Americans under 20 years old have diagnosed diabetes.
Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death. In 2010:
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- 69,071 death certificates listed diabetes as the underlying cause of death.
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<liL234,051 death certificates listed diabetes as an underlying or contributing cause of death.
$245 billion – Total cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2012
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- $176 billion – Direct medical cost
- $69 billion – Cost of reduced productivity
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Treatments for Diabetes
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- Medication
- Healthy diet
- Active lifestyle
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Managing Diabetes with Technology
In addition to medication, healthy diet, and an active lifestyle, technology offers support to keep diabetes in check.
Websites
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- www.diabetes.org – American Diabetes Association
- Basic information and statistics about diabetes
- Food and fitness tips
- Community events
- Planning tips for parents and kids living with diabetes
- www.diabetes.org – American Diabetes Association
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www.diabeticlivingonline.com – Diabetic Living Magazine
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- Healthy eating and activities
- Recipes
- Weight loss tips
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- www.dLife.com – dLife
- Interactive tools
- Blogs, polls, online discussions
- Recent news
- Recipes
- Supplies
- www.dLife.com – dLife
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Mobile Apps
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- mySugr Companion
- A diabetes logbook that gamifies the experience, offering points for every entry and personal challenge
- mySugr Companion
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- Glucose Buddy
- Track carbohydrates, insulin dosage, physical activity, and glucose values
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- Glooko
Upload glucose readings straight from your meter, track your goals, and share information with your doctor
- Dbees.com
- A personalized app that helps you manage your insulin, medications, and diet
- Diabetic Connect
- Interact with other diabetics to share tips, learn, and give support
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Tech
- t:slim Insulin Pump
- A device that delivers a steady amount of insulin to your system throughout the day
- MedTronic Guardian
- A real-time continuous glucose monitoring system that anticipates glucose changes, offers predictive alerts, and delivers trend graphs to determine patterns
- iBGStar
- The first blood glucose meter that can be used standalone or connected directly to your iPhone, allowing you to manage and share your diabetes information
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- Telcare
- The first FDA-cleared cellular blood glucose meter that automatically sends data to your care team and provides messages, reminders, and personalized education
- YoFiMeter
- The first all-in-one cellular glucometer featuring a touch screen, built-in Bluetooth, and cassettes that hold 20 lancets and 20 testing strips
- Dexcom CGM
- A continuous glucose monitoring system featuring a small, painless sensor and a sleek, discrete receiver with a 20-foot range that weighs just 2.4 ounces
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Resources:
• http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/diabetes/
• http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/parents-and-kids/everyday-life/shots-and-checks.html
• http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/type-1/
• http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/type-2/
• http://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/statistics
• http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/gestational/what-is-gestational-diabetes.html
• http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diagnosis/
• http://www.cdc.gov/features/diabetesfactsheet/
• http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/?loc=db-slabnav
• http://www.hopewarshaw.com/blog/top-eleven-diabetes-websites
• http://mashable.com/2014/05/05/diabetes-apps/
• http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/top-iphone-android-apps-diabetes
• http://www.tandemdiabetes.com/Products/t-slim-Insulin-Pump/Touch-Screen/
• http://www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/productsandmedicalprocedures/deviceapprovalsandclearances/recently-approveddevices/ucm083294.htm
• http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/treatment-and-products/guardian-real-time-cgm-system
• http://www.ibgstar.us/what-is-ibgstar.aspx
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