Today, November 14, is World Diabetes Day. The date coincides with the birthday of Frederick Banting, the Nobel laureate who, along with two others scientists, co-discovered the hormone insulin and its therapeutic implications. Much like Breast Cancer Awareness Month, World Diabetes Day is a global awareness campaign. It is led by the International Diabetes Federation.
Each year, the campaign focuses on one theme related to diabetes. This year’s theme was Family and Diabetes, highlighting the fact the disease affects an entire family, not just the individual diagnosed with it.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic illness which disrupts the body’s ability to convert food into energy. Glucose, a sugar, is the principal fuel of cells. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, regulates glucose uptake. An insufficient production of insulin, or inadequate cellular response to it, results in diminished uptake of glucose into our cells. This manifests clinically as an elevated blood sugar level.
The long-term effects are widespread and devastating, making diabetes the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
Types of Diabetes
There are three main types of diabetes:
- Type 1, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes
- Type 2 which, unlike the former, is both preventable and treatable, and
- Type 3, or gestational diabetes, usually a temporary condition occurring in pregnant women with no history of the disease
The incidence of Type 2 diabetes around the world has been increasing. Unsurprisingly, this year’s campaign puts special emphasis on the identification and prevention of this type.
As we inch closer to the holidays – a time of abundance and indulgence – I ask you to take some time to learn more about diabetes and whether you or your loved ones might be at risk. If so, please do yourself a favor and learn about lifestyle changes and other courses of action you can adopt to minimize the risk of morbidity. Every little bit you do helps, and the sooner the better.
Even if you are not at risk, it won’t hurt to learn to identify the signs and risks of diabetes. What you learn might allow you to bring awareness to friends and other acquaintances who, unbeknown to them, might be showing symptoms of diabetes.