Know Your Risk of Diabetes
Diabetes continues to be a growing health problem in the United States. It's important to know the risk factors for developing this disorder, as well as common warning signs that could indicate you have diabetes.
Friday, April 25, 2003
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Durham, N.C. -- Diabetes is dramatically on the rise
across America, among all ages, genders, ethnic groups and economic
levels. The most common type is called adult-onset, or type 2,
diabetes. Marilyn Sparling, a dietitian-clinician at Duke
University Medical Center, says the condition strikes some
communities especially hard.
"Several minority groups seem to be especially hard hit, including African Americans. Their rate for type-2 diabetes has tripled in the past 30 years."
Sparling, who is a diabetes educator, says it's important to know your risk factors for the disease, including your family medical history. Other risk factors can include being overweight and getting little physical exercise. She says we can't change heredity, but we can modify lifestyle factors: losing some weight if you're overweight, getting more physical activity, and having a healthy diet. As for diabetes or pre-diabetes warning signs, she points to two in particular:
"Extreme thirst, you've just got to have something to drink all the time. And then frequent urination, you're going to the bathroom all the time. Those are two big warning signs that something's not right, and you need to go get your glucose checked."
