In a March Sunday edition of the Star Tribune, Minneapolis, I ran across an obituary of a young woman (only 2 years older than me) who died from complications from diabetes. This young woman is survived by one daughter, one son, and grandchildren. This obituary hits super close to home and makes me more aware of the work we are doing at UR Diabetes. The mission of providing information for diabetics and their quest for a healthy life, may be the answer to help them extend their life.
In the United States, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the year 2007. The overall risk for death among people with diabetes is twice as much as other individuals of the same age. Diabetes is tied to a plethora of other diseases such as kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputations, hypertension, and dental disease. The unfortunate fact is that diabetes is most likely underreported. Diabetes may be listed as an illness on the death certificate, but not the cause of death. In 2007, diabetes contributed to 160,022 deaths, and was the leading cause in 71,382 deaths; a total of 231,404 deaths in all.
Who is most at risk?
In Type 2 diabetes, obesity is one of the contributors to diabetes. Those with diabetes had double the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke, compared to those without the disorder. But they also found that diabetics had a 25 percent higher risk of dying from cancer and were more likely to die from a variety of illnesses including infections, lung and kidney disease as well as falls.
The research finds that mortality rates for people with type 1diabetes are significantly higher than for people without the disease — seven times higher, in fact. And some groups, such as women, continue to have disproportionately higher mortality rates. Women with type 1 diabetes are 13 times more likely to die than are their female counterparts without the disease.
Blacks also have a lower 30-year survival rate than whites according to a study by Juvenile Diabetes Research Center. One suggestion as to this research is that blacks generally have more susceptibility to heart disease or high blood pressure.
Hope for an Extended Life?
Bloomberg Business, a publication focusing on healthcare, has some good news. Individuals diagnosed with diabetes in 1970 have a lower mortality rate than diabetics identified in 1960. This lower rate is due to the increase in awareness on ways in which individuals can monitor and control their condition. While each type 2 diabetic is different, diet and exercise are two components that can assist with extending life’s expectancy. Using the many resources available through the research of the American Diabetes Association and JDRF, diabetics can follow recommended lifestyles for healthy living.
Type 2 diabetics looking for a healthy alternative can choose a program called “Simply Raw for 30”. This nutritional system could reverse type 2 diabetes in 30 days. For more information, go to the following link. CLICK HERE!
This opens a complex issue, more than it rpepaas. For about 2/3 of the body cells, insulin is required to take in glucose from the blood. In type 1 diabetes (what used to be called juvenile diabetes), the body doesn’t produce insulin anymore. It has to come from the outside or death is very very likely. And, of course, without insulin, the glood glucose level goes, and usually stays high. In type 2 diabetes, those body cells stop (more or less) listening to the insulin. And if they[ re not taking in glucose, there will be more in blood, and glucose levels will be high. in non-diabetics, glucose is absorbed into cells and used for fuel. Two kinds of cells have internal storage for glucose they don’t need right now. One kind is liver cells and the other is muscle cells. Liver cells are a kind of temporary storage, and when blood glucose levels go down, they take some of the stored glucoses and put it back into the blood. Muscle cells don’t have the machinery to do that, so their stored glucose stays in the muscle cell until it’s used for fuel. When marathon runners carbo load, what they’re trying to do is get all the liver and muscle cells to take in as much glucose as possible, so they can use it during the race. There is one exception to this need insulin to absorb glucose business. When muscles exercise, they can take in glucose more or less regardless of whether insulin is present. The effect is easily measurable and lasts for a few hours after the exercise stops. It’s one reason diabetics are told to exercise. So, if you have lots of muscle mass, you can absorb more glucose than the 90 pound weakling on Muscle Beach. If you don’t eat much, eventually the liver’s stored glucose will be put into the blood and, especially when you exercise, will be absorbed into the muscle cells. If the liver was full, this will be something like 3/4 of a kilogram of glucose. But, if your glucose levels go down and even the liver’s storage can’t keep it up, your body will start making glucose itself, mostly from taking protein apart. A few of the amino acid building blocks in protein can be turned into glucose. The rest will be discarded into the blood and if there are enough the kidneys will start dumping them. And, one part of stored fat (just a small part) can be turned into glucose as well; the rest can’t. So, to answer your question, more muscle mass will let you absorb more glucose than otherwise, BUT, the body is very committed to keeping glucose in the blood that even lots of muscle mass can’t git rid of all of it. And, if you’re diabetic with insulin problems of one kind or another, your muscles can’t take in glucose very well, unless you exercise. Even then, your muscles won’t be a ble to take in enough to get all the glucose. Yes muscle mass helps, no it is not a substitute for insulin (type 1 diabetics and some type 2), nor for other medication (both types).Getting buffed won’t make the diabetes or ist problems go away, and can’t really help all that much in any case. But he exercise you need to get the muscles will help. Don’t stop. A warning! Steroid drugs have an unfortunate effect. They interfere with the insulin-glucose business, and long term use can and does cause diabetes. If you’re diabetic or becoming diabetic, don’t even consider it. Locker room legends are not very reliable sources of information on medical issues. Consult a doctor