Diabetes Trends Encourage Healthy Lifestyle

10/14/08 Disease Basics

Diabetes now affects nearly 24 million people in the United States, an increase of more than 3 million in approximately two years, according to new 2007 prevalence data estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This means that nearly 8 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes.

In addition to the 24 million with diabetes, another 57 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that puts people at increased risk for diabetes. Among people with diabetes, those who do not know they have the disease decreased from 30 percent to 25 percent over a two-year period.

With these rising numbers, more and more people are looking for the best way to control and manage their diabetes. According to the Mayo Clinic Diabetes Center, “managing your blood sugar level is the most important thing you can do to feel your best and prevent long-term complications” associated with diabetes.

People with diabetes cannot produce enough insulin, or the chemical in the body that helps regulate and process sugar in the bloodstream. The lack of insulin causes an unhealthy increase in levels of glucose (sugar) in the body. If those blood sugar levels are not carefully monitored and controlled, serious complications can arise, including heart and blood vessel disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations.

There are different blood sugar monitors available that will help you manage your diabetes. Some are large, some require test strips, and others are smaller and more compact, making testing on the go easier. Each monitor has unique features and options that can accommodate your lifestyle and needs.

Finding the proper blood sugar monitoring equipment—the system that works best for you—can be difficult. Work with your doctor to determine which system will meet your needs best.

Click here if you would like more information about blood sugar monitors and to try a free blood sugar monitor.