What is diabetes life span? Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has a high blood sugar, either because the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. This high blood sugar has the symptoms of blurry vision, fatigue, frequent urination, increased thirst, increased hunger and weight loss. To understand diabetes, it is important to first understand the normal process by which food is broken down and used by the body for energy. Several things happen when food is digested: (a) a sugar called glucose, which is a source of fuel in our body, enters the bloodstream (b) an organ called the pancreas makes insulin to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.
There are three major types of diabetes that effect diabetes life span
(1)Type 1 diabetes life span is usually diagnosed in childhood. In this disease the body makes little insulin and therefore daily injections are needed.
(2)Type 2 diabetes life span is far more common than the Type 1 because it makes up most of diabetes cases. It usually occurs in adulthood, but young people are increasingly being diagnosed with this disease. The pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels normal, often because the body does not respond well to insulin. Many people with Type 2 diabetes do not know they have it, although it is a serious condition. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common due to increasing obesity and failure to exercise.
(3)Gestational diabetes is high blood glucose that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes.
There are several blood tests used to diagnose diabetes:
(1)Fasting blood glucose level – diabetes is diagnosed if higher than 126 mg/dL on two occasions. Levels between 100 and 126 mg/dL are referred to as impaired fasting glucose or prediabetes. These levels are considered to be risk factors for Type 2 diabetes and its complications.
(2)Oral glucose tolerance test – diabetes is diagnosed if glucose level is higher than 200 mg/dL after 2 hours. (This test is used more for Type 2 diabetes).
(3)Random (non-fasting) blood glucose level – diabetes is suspected if higher than 200 mg/dL and accompanied by the classic diabetes symptoms of increased thirst, urination, and fatigue. (This test must be confirmed with a fasting blood glucose test.)
Persons with diabetes need to have their hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level checked every three to six months. The HbA1c is a measure of average blood glucose during two to three months. It is very helpful way to determine how well treatment is working. After diabetes diagnosis, many diabetics worry about their diabetes life span. Death is never a pleasant subject but it is human nature to know ‘how long will i live’. Here is the answer on diabetes life span. DiabetesUKestimates in its report, Diabetes in UK 2010: Key Statistics on Diabetes, the Type 2 diabetes life span is likely to be reduced by up to 10 years while the Type 1 diabetes life span is reduced by over 20 years.
The Diabetes Life Span
The cause of this short diabetes life span is high blood sugar. The higher blood sugar, the shorter the diabetes life span because it allows diabetic complications to set in, such as diabetic retinopathy, kidney diseases, and cardiovascular disease (heart disease). Higher blood sugars is often accompanied by associated conditions such as higher blood pressure and high cholesterol, which help to contribute to poor circulation and further the damage to organs such as the heart, the kidneys, eyes and nerves in particular. The key to have a prolong diabetes life span is to maintain good blood glucose control. Keeping blood sugar levels with the recommended blood glucose level ranges will help to offset the likelihood of the complications and therefore increase the diabetes life span. It is highly recommended to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, of a well balanced diet and regular exercise, in order to help keep blood pressure and cholesterol at healthy levels and promote good circulation. So your diabetes life span will be increased with some healthy changes.