More Men over 50 are Diagnosed with Diabetes

In recent years, there are more and more people diagnosed with diabetes. Most of them are men, especially those over the age of 50years old.

One factor that leads to the development of diabetes is weight. Excessive weight can have such a dramatic impact on the development of diabetes that a simple weight loss is the first recommended treatments for diabetes.

What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition when our body losses the ability to regulate and control the glucose levels in the blood. As the result a diabetic person would have an abnormal high level of blood glucose or blood sugar.
Blood sugar levels are controlled by insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas, a gland in the middle of our body that regulates the movement of glucose into our cells. Glucose is used as fuel by our body.

Three things can happen in diabetes,
•    The insulin that is produced by our pancreas does not work as well as it should.
•    The insulin produced is insufficient to cope with the blood sugar levels.
•    Our body totally stops producing insulin.

Type of Diabetes
There are two types of Diabetes,
1.    Type 1 Diabetes (insulin dependent)
2.    Type 2 Diabetes (non insulin dependent)

1. Type 1 Diabetes
In Type 1 Diabetes, our body totally stops producing insulin. This condition happens most common in children and young people under the age of 40years old.
Diabetic person must have insulin everyday for life. Insulin is quickly destroyed by the acid and digestive juice found in our stomach that is why it cannot be taken as tablet but to be injected instead.
For a diabetic person it is important to keep not only blood sugar levels under control but also need to control the blood pressure levels as strictly as possible as well.

Cause of Type 1 Diabetes
The exact cause is still unknown, but most likely it is due to viral or environmental problems that cause an immune reaction in people with genetically symptoms. Their body's white blood cells mistakenly attack the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells.

Symptoms
Often there are no symptoms at all but some people may notice these symptoms as the first signs of type 1 diabetes,
•    Feeling of tiredness or fatigued
•    Feeling hungry
•    Being very thirsty
•    Urinating more often
•    Losing weight without trying
•    Having blurry eyesight
•    Losing the feeling or feeling tingling in your feet

Symptoms you will notice when your blood sugar is very high,
•    Dry skin and mouth
•    Flushed face
•    Fruity breath odour
•    Nausea or vomiting, unable to keep down fluids
•    Stomach pain

For people with diabetes who are taking insulin. Below are the symptoms you will notice when your blood sugar level is low,
•    Headache
•    Hunger
•    Nervousness
•    Rapid heartbeat (palpitations)
•    Shaking
•    Sweating
•    Weakness

2. Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes happen when our body resist and does not respond properly to insulin. It means that fat, liver and muscle cells do not respond normally to insulin. As a result blood sugar does not get into the cells to be stored for energy. When sugar cannot enter the cells, an abnormally high level of sugar will built up in the blood.
This high level of blood sugar triggers the pancreas to produce more and more insulin, but still unable to keep up with our body's demand.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic or lifelong disease. It occurs gradually, most people with the disease are overweight at the time of diagnosis. Fat interferes with the body's ability to use insulin.
However, Type 2 diabetes can also develop in people who are thin, especially the elderly.

Cause of Type 2 Diabetes
Age, 45 and above, family history and genetics are known cause of in type 2 diabetes. Excess body weight or obese, poor diet and low physical activity level will increase our risk of type 2 diabetes.

Other risk factors include:
•    HDL cholesterol
•    High blood pressure
•    Previously diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance
•    Race

Symptoms
Often there are no symptoms at all but still do look out for symptoms like,
•    Blurred vision
•    Erectile dysfunction
•    Fatigue
•    Frequent or slow-healing infections
•    Increased appetite
•    Increased thirst
•    Increased urination

Diabetes is a progressive condition with its natural tendency to worsen over time.
Therefore, the function of treatment is to slow down the progression of diabetes.