Diabetes

1
Diabetes

• Healthy Schools, Healthy Families
• Mithila Jegathesan, M.D.
• Kate Avitabile, M.D.

2
What is Diabetes?

• A disease in which there are high levels of blood
  glucose in the body
• Glucose is the medical term for sugar
• It is the fuel the body uses to stay active, just
  like gas in a car

3
Why does diabetes happen?

• Normally, an organ called the pancreas produces a
  hormone called insulin
• Insulin controls the level of sugar in the body
• In diabetes the insulin does not control the
  sugar correctly

4
Type 1 Diabetes

• The body destroys the cells in the pancreas that
  usually make insulin
• There is no insulin in the body to control the
  levels of sugar
• Insulin must be injected into the person to
  control the levels of sugar

5
Type 1 Diabetes

• Usually happens in children and young adults
• May be in their genes
• No way to prevent or cure this type of diabetes
  yet

6
Type 2 Diabetes

• At the beginning the pancreas is able to produce
  insulin to control the sugar
• But the other cells in the body, like the
  muscles, cannot respond to this insulin
• The pancreas tries to produce more and more
  insulin but the organs cannot respond
• This is called insulin resistance

7
Type 2 Diabetes

• The pancreas eventually gets tired out and cannot
  produce any more insulin
• The bodys sugar levels are uncontrolled
• Some people need medications to decrease the
  level of sugar in the body
• Other people may eventually need insulin
  injections

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Who often gets Type 2 Diabetes?

• Older age - adult and young adult cases
• Overweight or obese people
• Women who had diabetes during pregnancy
• People who do not exercise often
• Some races and ethnicities
• African American
• Hispanic/Latinos
• Native Americans
• Some Asians
• May run in families

9
Gestational Diabetes

• Diabetes in pregnant women
• May go away after the baby is born
• But some women with this type of diabetes may be
  more likely to develop permanent diabetes after
  pregnancy
• Can cause problems for the baby including heart
  and lung problems and problems with the babys
  sugar

10
Who may get diabetes of pregnancy?

• Obese women
• Women with family members with diabetes
• More common in African Americas, Hispanic/Latina
  Americans, and Native Americans

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Body Parts Affected by Diabetes

• Eyes
• Diabetes causes the blood vessels of the back of
  the eye called the retina to grow too much
• This may cause the retina to separate from the
  back of the eye
• This may lead to permanent blindness
• Some people may have surgery to remove these
  blood vessels

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Body Parts Affected by Diabetes

• Kidneys
• Diabetes causes the blood vessels of the kidneys
  to become weak
• This may lead to leaking of important proteins
  into the urine
• These important proteins are lost from the body

13
Body Parts Affected by Diabetes

• Kidneys
• Loss of proteins may lead to swelling of the feet
  and ankles
• Kidney damage can also cause high blood pressure
• Some people need kidney transplants

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Body Parts Affected by Diabetes

• Heart
• High sugar causes damage to the blood vessels
  that bring blood to the muscle of the heart
• The vessels can become narrow
• Blood cannot get to all parts of the heart
• This may lead to chest pain, heart attacks, and
  possibly death

15
Body Parts Affected by Diabetes

• Other blood vessels
• The vessels of the legs, ankles, and feet may be
  damaged by diabetes
• This may lead to change in color, pain, and
  ulcers
• Some diabetics need to have amputations

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Body Parts Affected by Diabetes

• Nerves
• The nerves of the feet are often damaged
• This can cause changes in feeling as well as
  burning sensations in the feet
• The nerves of the stomach and intestine can also
  be damaged and cause problems with digestion

17
Body Parts Affected by Diabetes

• Infections
• Diabetics are more prone to getting infections
• They may get very serious infections with fungi
• The ulcers of the feet can become infected and
  spread to infection of the bone

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What is Pre-Diabetes?

• A condition that may later develop into diabetes
• The levels of sugar in the blood are higher than
  normal but not as high as in diabetes

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Who can get Pre-Diabetes?

• Adults
• Also children!
• As more and more children are overweight, more
  and more children are getting pre-diabetes

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What are the signs of Pre-Diabetes?

• A person with pre-diabetes has high sugar on a
  blood test taken first thing in the morning,
  before eating anything
• The doctor may then test the blood after the
  person eats a sugary meal and the blood sugar is
  even higher

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What are the signs of Pre-Diabetes?

• Acanthosis nigricans
• Dark color of the skin on the back of the neck or
  under the armpits
• May be seen in both light and dark skinned people
• Sign of high levels of blood sugar
• Especially important in finding children at risk
  of pre-diabetes and diabetes

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Now for some GOOD NEWS!!
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How can I prevent diabetes in myself and my
children?

• Exercise
• 30 minutes per day or 3 times per week
• Try walking more rather than taking the bus or
  subway
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Try buying an exercise video to use at home
• Find a friend to exercise with you!

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How can I prevent diabetes in myself and my
children?

• Eat healthy
• Eat a diet low in fat, low in carbohydrates, and
  high in fiber
• Limit fast food
• Limit soda and juice
• Parents examples help children form good habits!

25
How can I prevent diabetes in myself and my
children?

• Lose weight
• Obesity is a major risk factor for developing
  diabetes
• Exercise and healthy eating can help you maintain
  a healthy weight and lower your risk of
  developing diabetes

26
How can I prevent diabetes in myself and my
children?

• Decrease screen time
• Instead of watching TV or playing video games
  with your kids, go for a walk or go to the park
  together
• Cutting down TV time from 4 hrs a day to 2 hrs a
  day can decrease childrens risk of being
  overweight and developing pre-diabetes

27
How can I prevent diabetes in myself and my
children?

• See your doctor for regular check-ups
• Follow advice on how to lower blood pressure and
  cholesterol
• Having diabetes along with obesity, high blood
  pressure, and high cholesterol increases your
  risk of heart and kidney disease

28
How can I prevent diabetes in myself and my
children?

• Limit alcohol intake
• Ask your doctor for information about how you can
  stop smoking
• Dial 411 for other programs