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17 Nov

Alternative Medicine Townsville Come on down, lets play Type 2 Diabetes risk factor

diabetes conceptual meter

First of all – just what is Type 2 Diabetes? Well, for starters, don’t confuse it with Type 1 Diabetes – the latter occurs in only 10% of diabetes sufferers when their pancreas stops producing insulin due to a lack of islet cells – the result being the need for injecting insulin on a regular basis to maintain blood sugar levels. In contrast, Type 2 Diabetes is a metabolic disorder where high blood sugar – hyperglycemia – occurs because of insulin resistance in the body or insufficient insulin production from the pancreas. Like an addictive drug – insulin resistance is the result of cells being exposed to high levels of insulin for long periods – usually as the result of a high sugar diet – over time the pancreas must produce more and more insulin to do the same amount of work, causing even more cellular resistance – it’s a story that rarely ends well.      So who among us risks a future with Type 2 Diabetes?For some, Type 2 Diabetes can be almost inevitable no matter what they do. To date 36 genes have been identified as causing Type 2 Diabetes, if you have a combination of these genes you face a real possibility of becoming a disease sufferer. In identical twins there’s a 90% chance of the second sibling developing Type 2 Diabetes once their brother or sister is diagnosed – for non-identical siblings the risk is still close to 50%. So if this disease runs in your family you should be aware that you face the greatest risk. That doesn’t mean you should do nothing about your plight – your lifestyle choices may still be contributing factors. Excess body fat has been associated with up to 80% of all Europeans and Aficans diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and 100% of Pacific Islanders. In short, if you’re overweight then you’re telling those genes to go right ahead and make you insulin resistant.Don’t sleep enough? A lack of sleep has been shown to cause a similar reaction in the body to insulin resistance and may cause a pre-diabetic state. Alternatively, sleep deprivation may be the chicken or the egg…as high blood sugar levels resulting from a post-diabetic state also impact  your ability to sleep.Don’t exercise? 7% of cases are linked to inactivity.

You’re male? Chalk this up as another victory for the sisterhood – having once led the statistics for Type 2 Diabetes, statistically women are now less prone to the disease than men. A study conducted by the University of Glasgow suggests even a small weight gain in men increases their risk, whereas women can sustain larger weight gains before entering the ‘danger zone’.

Pregant? Up to 8% of pregancies will result in gestational diabetes – ususally between the 24th and 28th weeks. If you’re over thirty, have a family history of Type 2 Diabetes, have a First Australian, Torres Straits Islander, Melanesian, Polynesian, Vietnamese, Chinese or Middle Eastern heritage, then you’re at a higher risk.

Medical conditions? Hyperthyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, acromegaly, testosterone deficiency and some cancers can be contributing factors.

Medication? Glucocorticoids, thiazides, beta blockers, some antipsychotics and statins have been shown to increase risk.

Obviously you can’t avoid some of these risks – genes, cultural heritage and diseases don’t give you much choice…but lifestyle is something we can modify – and it is never too late.

Alternative Medicine Townsville Come on down, lets play Type 2 Diabetes risk factor

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