April Is Pharmacists War on Diabetes Month
Each year presents a number of new opportunities to shed a light on diabetes and ways to prevent it—including the month of April, Pharmacists War on Diabetes Month.
Though type 2 diabetes, in particular, is preventable, more people are being diagnosed with it as the obesity epidemic continues.
To help spread awareness of type 2 diabetes and its impact, The Prescription Shop team has put together an overview of the disease, including:
- what it is
- what causes it
- how you can prevent it
- who’s most at risk of developing it
We encourage you to take the opportunity this month to assess your personal risk factors for type 2 diabetes and start taking steps—even if just small ones—to living a healthier lifestyle.
How Type 2 Diabetes Differs from Type 1
First, it can help to know what diabetes is, which is “a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high.”
And there are different types of diabetes. However, for our purposes, we’ll be exploring types 1 and 2 specifically.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when a person’s body stops producing insulin, which is responsible for controlling the amount of sugar in the blood.
Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, develops when the body isn’t able to use insulin properly.
What Causes Diabetes and How You Can Help Prevent It
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune response against insulin-producing beta cells, and so it cannot be prevented.
Type 2 diabetes, however, stems from other causes and can be prevented.
Though the exact cause of type 2 diabetes is unknown, the disease is related to age, weight, genetics and physical activity.
Being over age 45, having excess weight, and living an inactive lifestyle are three particular risk factors that are known to contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.
While you can’t control your age or genetic makeup, you can control your diet and level of physical activity.
That said, two important steps you can take to helping prevent type 2 diabetes is eating a healthy diet—full of fiber and whole grains and other healthy food choices—and being more active.
Getting more physical activity in doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym. Try to work in fun aerobic exercises and/or resistance training, which can also help control/manage diabetes.
The Face of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 90 and 95 percent of the 30+ million Americans living with diabetes have type 2.
What’s more? There are more than 7.5 million U.S. adults living with undiagnosed diabetes—and more than 81.5 million adults with prediabetes.
That’s why it’s so important to learn more about this common disease, talk with your doctor about your personal risk, and help spread awareness of its impact and ways to prevent it.
Diabetes education is one of the many services The Prescription Shop provides to our local community. Visit our website today to learn more about our convenient health services.