questions imageFrequently Asked Questions

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose (sugar) to move from the bloodstream into the cells. A lack of insulin or inability to use insulin results in the accumulation (build up) of sugar in the bloodstream of people with diabetes. Diabetes can cause many health complications including: gum disease, sexual problems, nerve damage, finger amputation, foot amputation, blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and stroke. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Although diabetes is a serious disease, people with diabetes can live long, healthy, happy lives when the disease is properly monitored and treated.
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What are the symptoms of diabetes?

People who think they might have diabetes must visit a physician for diagnosis.
They might have SOME or NONE of the following symptoms:

Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains may accompany some of these symptoms in the abrupt onset of insulin-dependent diabetes, now called type 1 diabetes.
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How is diabetes treated?

Blood sugar monitoring, oral medication and/or insulin injections, special meal plans, physical activity (exercise).
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What are the complications of diabetes?

Heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), kidney damage (nephropathy).
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What are the types of diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes: Previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or childhood-onset diabetes. In type 1diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. It is estimated that 5-10% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1diabetes. Risk factors include: family history of the disease, Caucasian (white) ancestry, younger than 40 years of age, diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder.

Type 2 diabetes: Previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin or the body cannot properly use insulin. Approximately 90-95% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Risk factors include: family history, non-Caucasian ancestry (African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, Pacific-Islander), 40 years of age or older, overweight/obesity, prior history of gestational diabetes, previously had a baby weighing more than 9 pounds, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity.

Gestational diabetes: Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood sugar (glucose) levels around or after the 28th week of pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes. This condition affects about 4% of all pregnant women and usually goes away after pregnancy. However, once you've had gestational diabetes, your chances are 2 in 3 that it will return in future pregnancies. In addition, people with gestational diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes years later. Risk factors include: family history, non-Caucasian ancestry, over 25 years of age, overweight/obesity, gestational diabetes during a past pregnancy, stillbirth or delivery of a baby weighing more than 9 pounds.

Other specific types of diabetes result from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses. Such types of diabetes may account for 1% to 2% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
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What is Pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is a term used to distinguish people who are at increased risk of developing diabetes. People with pre-diabetes have impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Some people may have both IFG and IGT. People with Pre-diabetes have higher than normal blood glucose level, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. Pre-diabetes increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart disease by 50%. Testing for pre-diabetes should be considered if you are 45 years of age or older, or if you are younger than 45 but are overweight and have one of the following risk factors:

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How is diabetes diagnosed?

In order to determine whether or not a patient has pre-diabetes or diabetes, health care providers conduct a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). With the FPG test, a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl signals pre-diabetes. A person with a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dl or higher has diabetes. In the OGTT test, a person's blood glucose level is measured after a fast and two hours after drinking a glucose-rich beverage. If the two-hour blood glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl, the person tested has pre-diabetes. If the two-hour blood glucose level is at 200 mg/dl or higher, the person tested has diabetes.
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What is the treatment for diabetes?

Management strategies should be planned along with a qualified health care team. Treatment is aimed at keeping blood glucose near normal levels at all times. Training in self-management is integral to the treatment of diabetes. Treatment must be individualized and includes blood sugar monitoring, oral medication and/or insulin injections, special meal plans, and physical activity (exercise).
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Can diabetes be prevented?

A number of studies have shown that regular physical activity and healthy eating can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It also appears to be associated with obesity. Researchers are making progress in identifying the exact genetics and "triggers" that predispose some individuals to develop type 1 diabetes, but prevention, as well as a cure, remains elusive.
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Is there a cure for diabetes?

In response to the growing health burden of diabetes mellitus (diabetes), the diabetes community has three choices: prevent diabetes; cure diabetes; and take better care of people with diabetes to prevent devastating complications. All three approaches are actively being pursued by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are involved in prevention activities. The NIH is involved in research to cure both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, especially type 1. CDC focuses most of its programs on being sure that the proven science is put into daily practice for people with diabetes. The basic idea is that if all the important research and science are not made meaningful in the daily lives of people with diabetes, then the research is, in essence, wasted.

Several approaches to "cure" diabetes are being pursued:

Each of these approaches still has a lot of challenges, such as preventing immune rejection; finding an adequate number of insulin cells; keeping cells alive; and others. But progress is being made in all areas.
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How do I become a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE)?

Diabetes self-management education is performed by health care professionals who have appropriate education and experience consistent with their profession's scope of practice. For more information on how to become a CDE, visit the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators website .
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What are some other sources for information on diabetes?

The following organizations may help in your search for more information on diabetes:

Federal Government Organizations

Department of Veterans Affairs Internet

Health Resources and Services Administration Internet

Indian Health Service Diabetes Program
5300 Homestead Road NE,
Albuquerque, NM 87110
505/248-4182

National Eye Institute (NEI)
Bldg. 31, Room 6A32 31
Center Drive, MSC 2510
Bethesda, MD 20892-2510
301/496-5248 or 800/869-2020
(to order materials)
301/402-1065 (fax)

Educating People with Diabetes Kit
(Sponsored by the National Eye Institute)
2020 Vision Place,
Bethesda, MD 20892

Office of Minority Health Resource
Center US Department of Health and Human Services
P.O. Box 37337,
Washington, DC 20013-7337
800/444-MHRC (444-6472)
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