What is diabetes? From types to causes, what to know about one of the deadliest diseases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the country.
It’s also one of the most expensive, costing the United States about $327 billion in 2017, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Despite the leading risk factors being well-documented, health experts estimate cases of Type 2 diabetes to dramatically surge in the upcoming years, particularly in children and young people.
What is diabetes, what’s the difference between Type 1 and Type 2, what are the causes and how can you prevent it? Here’s everything to know about the disease that is being diagnosed in 1.4 million Americans every year.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a medical condition where the body’s blood glucose, or sugar, is too high, according to ADA.
It occurs when the body produces no or insufficient quantities of insulin, a hormone that comes from the pancreas to help glucose reach the body’s cells. When there’s not enough insulin to manage the glucose, it begins to build up in blood.
High levels of blood sugar can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and vision loss.
How to know if you have diabetes: Here's a look at early signs and symptoms
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What is Type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that causes the destruction of cells that secrete insulin from the pancreas, according to the British Diabetic Association, or Diabetes UK.
It can affect people of any age, but it typically develops in children and young people, health experts say.
The ADA says the underlying causes of Type 1 aren't totally clear. Although it’s not classified as a hereditary disorder, a patient is more likely to develop Type 1 if a parent or sibling has the condition.
What is Type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body stops producing enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin properly, which is called insulin resistance.
It’s often linked to having excess weight and typically affects people over 40, but the ADA said it’s becoming more common in younger people.
Unlike Type 1 diabetes, symptoms of Type 2 develop more slowly and include thirstiness, tiredness and the frequent need to urinate.
More: Diabetes in kids and young people is projected to dramatically surge
Other types of diabetes
Gestational diabetes: Occurs during pregnancy and can lead to an increased risk of miscarriage, premature delivery and C-sections.
MODY (maturity onset diabetes of the young): A rare, hereditary condition caused by a mutation of a single gene. Oftentimes, the signs and symptoms are mild, and the condition goes unnoticed unless testing is done.
Neonatal diabetes: Another rare form of diabetes that's also caused by a gene mutation and diagnosed in children younger than 6 months.
Type 3 diabetes is a proposed alternative name for Alzheimer’s disease as it can be linked to insulin resistance, in some cases.
How do you get diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes: While not a hereditary disorder, the ADA says a person is more at risk for developing Type 1 if a relative has it, like a sibling or parent.
Type 2 diabetes: Experts say it’s generally caused by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. While not considered a hereditary disorder, the ADA said the likelihood of developing Type 2 increases if a first-degree relative has experienced the condition.
Lifestyle factors associated with Type 2 include:
Being overweight or having obesity
Eating a high diet in carbs, sugar and fats
Physical inactivity
How to prevent diabetes?
Only Type 2 diabetes is preventable and lifestyle changes are the main method of prevention, the ADA said. This includes:
Dietary changes: Eating a healthy, balanced diet that’s low in carbohydrates, sugar and fat; and high in fruits, vegetables and grains.
Exercising: At least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five times per week.
Diabetes care gets major update: More aggressive approach to weight loss, cholesterol, disparities recommended
What are symptoms of diabetes?
Experts say Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes share many common symptoms, including:
Polyuria, or urinating often
Polydipsia, or feeling thirsty
Extreme fatigue, or feeling very tired
However, symptoms from Type 1 diabetes are can be more sudden and typically occur at a younger age, said Dr. Peminda Cabandugama, an endocrinologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Type 2 diabetes is much slower progressing disease, experts say. A patient could be diabetic for years before presenting any symptoms.
Is diabetes genetic?
A person with a family health history of diabetes is more likely to have prediabetes and develop diabetes, the CDC said. But even if you have a parent or sibling with diabetes, the agency says you can still prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes with early screening, healthy eating and physical activity.
How to know if you have diabetes
In addition to urinating frequently and feeling thirsty, the Mayo Clinic says some early symptoms of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes may include losing weight without trying, feeling more than hungry than usual, and developing blurry vision.
The American Academy of Dermatology also said symptoms that signal your blood sugar is too high may also appear on the skin:
Yellow, red or brown patches
Darker area of skins that feels like velvet
Hard, thickening skin
Blisters
Skin infections
Open sores and wounds
Shin spots
Small, reddish-yellow or skin-colored bumps
Yellowish scaly patches around your eyes
Skin tags
What to know about prediabetes
The CDC estimates about 96 million Americans – or more than 1 in 3 people – have prediabetes and more than 80% don’t know they have it.
Prediabetes is when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Since prediabetes has no clear symptoms, the CDC says it’s important for your doctor to check your blood sugar, especially if you have certain factors like:
Being overweight
Being 45 years or older
Having a parent or sibling with Type 2 diabetes
History of gestational diabetes
Giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
Having polycystic ovary syndrome
What foods to avoid with diabetes
Foods that lead to a spike in blood glucose drive up the amount of insulin released into the bloodstream, which over the long term, increases the risk for diabetes and makes the disease harder to control.
So what is glucose?
Refined starches, also known as complex carbohydrates, are chains of glucose molecules and have long been known to trigger this rapid spike in blood glucose. These include white rice, white bread and potatoes.
Added sugar, a simple carbohydrate, is also well known to trigger diabetes because it's 50% glucose.
Fructose is fine when eaten in low doses in foods that are digested slowly, like fruit. But at high doses, such as in heavily sweetened food or drinks, it triggers the liver to make more fat.
Too much protein circulates in the bloodstream, raises insulin levels and turns into fat, just like too much starch or sugar does, said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of nutrition at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
Eating extra protein doesn't build muscle alone. So, unless someone is in a meaningful strength training program, they don't need a protein shake or smoothie and should generally avoid excess protein.
About 10% of calories should come from protein, he said. Healthy sources of protein include:
Nuts and seeds
Soy
Beans and lentils
Poultry
Fish or seafood
Eggs
Yogurt, cheese, or milk
Contributing: Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY. Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is diabetes? Disease causes, prevention and types explained
