Diabetes – Heights Family Pharmacy https://www.heightsfamilypharmacy.com The Pharmacy You Trust Mon, 28 Jun 2021 19:02:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://www.heightsfamilypharmacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cropped-Favicon-32x32.jpg Diabetes – Heights Family Pharmacy https://www.heightsfamilypharmacy.com 32 32 190448386 Diabetes and Carbs https://www.heightsfamilypharmacy.com/diabetes-and-carbs/ Mon, 28 Jun 2021 19:01:00 +0000 https://www.heightsfamilypharmacy.com/?p=4470 Cooking as someone with diabetes, or for someone with diabetes, means paying attention to both the types of carbs and the volume. While there’s no one-size-fits-all plan, most people with diabetes generally want to limit their carbs at each meal.

How to cook for someone with diabetes

See the “fast carbs” or the “fast-digesting carbs” on the recipe label. Here are a few common ones that you should check: Processed starches like corn, tapioca, and instant rice, and foods that include wheat flour or breadcrumbs. Carbs found in potatoes (such as french fries) or in sweet potato. Granola bars, which have a high glycemic index. Brown rice and white rice. Avoid both white rice and brown rice. Always use a mix of whole and refined grains. The best combination, however, is whole wheat (e.g. whole wheat bread, whole wheat pastas, whole wheat couscous, and whole wheat pastry flour) and a grain you have a high glycemic index or does not contain much fiber, such as rice or potatoes.

What should I be eating?

There are only two important questions when it comes to insulin sensitivity— Are you eating enough and are you eating the right kinds of carbs? Carbohydrates can be divided into two groups—non-starchy, or basic, carbs and starchy, or complex, carbs. These categories are further divided into type II and type III. The simple carbs that most people do well with are called low-carb (usually less than 20 grams of carbs per serving) and the complex carbs that are harder to digest are known as “restricted” carbs (over 30 grams per serving). And yes, it’s important to limit the amount of those carbs that you eat, because excessive amounts can raise blood sugar levels. How much is enough? Ideally, carbohydrates should account for about 20% of total calories eaten per day.

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About Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is still one of the deadliest chronic medical conditions in the world today. According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report 2020, 1 in 10 Americans are diagnosed with diabetes and 1 in 3 have pre-diabetes.

More than 422 million people also suffer from this condition around the world, most of whom live in low and middle-income areas. Although the number of cases may have decreased significantly within the last 10 years, the statistic is still alarming as it is.

Defining Diabetes

The World Health Organization defines diabetes as “a chronic, metabolic diseases characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which leads over time to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves.”

The types of diabetes

  • Occurring in about 88 million American adults, prediabetes usually occurs when the patient’s blood glucose level is higher than normal for a period.

But it’s not high enough to produce a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. 84% of people who have prediabetes don’t actually know they have it and it puts them at risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

  • Gestational diabetes. This usually occurs in women who develop high blood sugar levels while they are pregnant but were never diagnosed with diabetes before. Gestational diabetes is caused by an increased level of insulin-blocking hormones that are produced by the placenta.

Although this condition usually goes away after the baby is born, it could put the mother at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life. There is also a higher risk for the baby to be obese during childhood and to develop type 2 diabetes during young adulthood.

  • Type 1 diabetes. Affecting about 10% of people with diabetes, this is an autoimmune condition that causes the immune system to attack the cells in the pancreas, which affects insulin production significantly.

Most patients with type 1 diabetes are children, teenagers and young adults, and they need to take insulin every day for the rest of their lives in order to survive.

  • Type 2 diabetes. This is the most common form of diabetes affecting 90% of patients. With type 2 diabetes, the body becomes incapable of utilizing insulin properly, which causes an accumulation of blood sugar in the body due to insulin resistance.

This condition is usually diagnosed in adults and it can be prevented through proper lifestyle changes.

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms may vary depending on the type of diabetes a patient has. But if you experience these common symptoms, you might need to see your doctor to get tested for diabetes:

  • Frequent thirst and hunger
  • Blurry vision
  • Frequent urination, especially at night
  • Sudden weight loss
  • Dry skin
  • Tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet
  • Slow healing sores or wounds

Patients with type 1 diabetes also experience stomach pains and nausea and vomiting, and these symptoms could get worst fast, which means that prompt treatment using diabetes medications is required for patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes patients, on the other hand, will barely experience any symptoms, especially since this could take several years to fully develop. This is when it matters to learn about the different risk factors for type 2 diabetes to make it easier to determine if a patient has this condition.

Pregnant women don’t also experience any symptoms and the only way to diagnose for gestational diabetes is through a test that’s done between week 24 and 28 of pregnancy.

Risk factors

Like its signs and symptoms, the risk factors for diabetes may also vary depending on its type.

Prediabetes

  • People who weigh more than their ideal body weight are likely to develop prediabetes.
  • Family history. Having an immediate family member with prediabetes increases a patient’s risk for the same condition.

Gestational diabetes

  • Women who are more than 25 years when they get pregnant are at a higher risk for gestational diabetes.
  • Family history. Having a family history of type 2 diabetes increases the chances of developing this condition.
  • Pre-existing condition. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.
  • Birth history. Women who previously had gestational diabetes or those who gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds are at a higher risk for developing the condition.

Type 1 diabetes

  • This condition is more likely to develop in children, teenagers or young adults, although it can occur at any age.
  • Family history. Having an immediate family member with type 1 diabetes increases a patient’s risk for the same condition.

Type 2 diabetes

  • People who weigh more than their ideal body weight are at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
  • Patients with prediabetes could develop type 2 diabetes without proper lifestyle changes.
  • Family history. Having an immediate family member with type 2 diabetes increases a patient’s risk for the same condition.
  • People who are 45 years and older are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
  • Gestational diabetes. Women who’ve had gestational diabetes or have given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds are at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Blood sugar test

Diabetes medications

The treatment for diabetes will depend on the type and the severity of a patient’s condition. In most cases, these are the top medications used by doctors for patients suffering from diabetes:

  • This is commonly used for treating type 1 diabetes since the body isn’t capable of producing its own insulin. Patients need to maintain a daily dose of insulin across their lifetime to survive. IN some instances, insulin may also be prescribed temporarily to patients with type 2 diabetes.
  • Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. Prescribed to lower blood sugar levels, this medication works by breaking down table sugar and starch in food.
  • The most popular variant being metformin, biguanides are prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes to help reduce sugar production in the liver. It also aides the muscles to absorb more glucose while reducing sugar absorption in the intestines.
  • DPP-4 inhibitors. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors work by supporting the body’s insulin production while reducing blood glucose levels without causing hypoglycemia.
  • SGLT-2 inhibitors. Sodium-glucose transporter (SGLT) 2 inhibitors are responsible for allowing the body to get rid of glucose through the urine.

Other medications for diabetes include:

  • Acarbose
  • Bromocriptine mesylate
  • Canaglifozin
  • Dulaglutide
  • Empagliflozin
  • Glimepiride
  • Linaglipitin
  • Miglitol
  • Nateglinide
  • Pramlintide
  • Repaglinide
  • Saxagliptin

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html

https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes#causes

https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/vod/vod216/vodspr0703.htm

https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetes-medications

https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/medications-list#type-2-diabetes

Medical Declaimer:

This article provides general information and discussions about health and related topics. The information and other content provided in this article, website or in any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This article does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other professional health care advice, diagnosis or treatment. We cannot diagnose conditions, provide second opinions or make specific treatment recommendations through this article or website.

If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment immediately. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that you have read in this article, website or in any linked materials. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 or call for emergency medical help on the nearest telephone immediately.

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