This document discusses diabetes, including types 1 and 2, risk factors, diagnosis methods, treatment, prevention, and resources. It notes that over 25 million Americans have diabetes and outlines genetic and lifestyle risk factors. Treatment for type 1 diabetes involves insulin monitoring and diet/exercise, while type 2 treatment may initially use diet/exercise and later oral medications or insulin. Adopting a healthy lifestyle can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Resources for information on diabetes are also provided.

1.  Introduction
 Causes and Risk Factors
 Type 1 & 2 diabetes
 Diagnosis Information
 My family history
 Treatment
 Prevention
 Resources
 Conclusion

2.  In the U.S., 25.8 million adults and
children with diabetes
 18.8 million diagnosed
 7 million undiagnosed
 79 pre diabetes
 1.9 million new cases 20 and older

3.  Mayo Clinic Staff” Glucose is a main source of energy for the cells that
make up your muscles and other tissues. Glucose comes from two
major sources: the food you eat and your liver. During digestion, sugar
is absorbed into the bloodstream. Normally, sugar then enters cells,
with the help of insulin
 Risk factors of diabetes are heart attacks strokes and the second
leading cause of blindness and kidney failure.

4. type 1 diabetes is Type 2 diabetes The
unknown, genetic more fatty tissue you
factors likely play a role. have, the more resistant
Your risk of developing your cells become to
type 1 diabetes insulin. Your risk increases
increases if you have a if a parent or sibling has
parent or sibling who has type 2 diabetes.
type 1 diabetes. Although it's unclear
Environmental factors, why, people of certain
such as exposure to a races — including
viral illness, also likely blacks, Hispanics,
play some role in type 1 American Indians and
diabetes. Other factors Asians — are at higher
that may increase your risk.
risk include:

5.  A fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test measures blood
glucose in a person who has not eaten anything for at
least 8 hours. This test is used to detect diabetes and
pre diabetes.
 An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) measures blood
glucose after a person fasts at least 8 hours and 2
hours after the person drinks a glucose-containing
beverage. This test can be used to diagnose diabetes
and pre diabetes.
 A random plasma glucose test, also called a casual
plasma glucose test, measures blood glucose without
regard to when the person being tested last ate. This
test, along with an assessment of symptoms, is used to
diagnose diabetes but not pre diabetes.

6. I come from a family where 905 of my family has diabetes. Too many of my family
members don’t realize that this is a type of disease that you do not play with. When I
was a child I never understood why I was not allowed to eat the things my friends
were eating. They would stop the ice cream truck, eat all types of junk foods, and for
me I was a little jealous of them. Now that I am and adult I can see the overall
picture, some of those friends are not here anymore. The friends who are still here
are struggling with diabetes. This past Wednesday we buried my cousin, he had a
heart attack and stroke at the same time, he was seventy one year’s young. I am
not your typically young man that eats just to be eating; I care about my life and
health. Studies say that the typically African American house hold ends up with
diabetes. African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as
non-Hispanic whites. In addition, they are more likely to suffer complications from
diabetes, such as end-stage renal disease and lower extremity amputations (from
the Office of Minority Health). Even though diabetes can be treated, I would rather
avoid getting it to begin with. Some life style choices I can make in my life to
decrease the risk factors for this disease would be to increase my exercise hours
per week. I normally have been eating 3 servings of vegetables a day, but I am
going to increase my intake to about five to seven servings of vegetables a day. I
also need to increase my fruit in take from three servings to five servings a day. Any
little change I can put into my life for a healthier me, I am willing to do it, and every
healthful change I make can lower my risk from being above average of getting
diabetes.

7.  Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin
 Monitor your sugar regularly 1to3 times daily
 Exercise and a diabetic diet
 Type 2 diabetes is treated with weight
reduction
 Exercise and a diabetic diet
 When these measures fail to control the
elevated blood sugars, oral medications are
used.
 If oral medications are still insufficient,
treatment with insulin is considered.

8.  Type 1 diabetes; there is nothing you could do to
prevent type 1; there is currently no known way to
prevent the disease.
 Type 2 diabetes; You can prevent or delay the onset of
type 2 diabetes through a healthy lifestyle. Change
your diet, increase your level of physical activity,
maintain a healthy weight. With these positive steps,
you can stay healthier longer and reduce your risk of
diabetes.

9.  Mayo Clinic
 National Diabetes Information
Clearinghouse (NDIC)
 American Diabetes Association
 MedicineNet.com
 Internet resources

10. Diabetes is a serious disease we all
should take serious. Watching what we
eat, exercise and taking our health
serious can prevent us from the
disease. Diabetes can kill and you
can also live with diabetes, it just
matters which direction you want to
take. If you become diagnosed with
diabetes it does not mean the end of
the world, you just have to be
treated. Checking your sugar regularly
and taking your insulin can be a start
of a new you.