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134 Things You Need to Know and Do About Diabetes: The Ultimate Guide for The Newly Diagnosed

By WeTheTrillions TeamNov 14, 2019

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40-minute read

In honor of Diabetes Awareness Month, we compiled the ultimate guide covering everything you need to know if you've recently been diagnosed with prediabetes (or diabetes) to transform your life, or support a loved one with diabetes.

Wondering if you can reverse prediabetes? What foods to avoid? Or what early signs to look out for to signal a progression to diabetes?

This list is for you.

We compiled the latest research, enlisted the best resources, explored terminology, and shared actionable advice to help you achieve your peak health.

Read this in one sitting or jump to the section below you’re most interested in.

  • Essential Vocabulary to Understand Diabetes
  • Early Signs, Symptoms, and Risk Factors for Diabetes
  • Complications of Diabetes
  • Complications of Gestational Diabetes
  • Actionable Steps to Prevent, Reverse, and/or Manage diabetes
  • Patient Advocacy Groups
  • Useful Apps
  • Curbing Diabetes Epidemic in Your Community
  • Diabetes in Numbers
  • Latest Research on Cures
  • Podcasts
  • Documentaries to Watch
  • Diabetes Trends Around the World
  • In a Nutshell

Essential Vocabulary to Understand Diabetes

  1. What is the pancreas and how does it relate to diabetes?

The pancreas is a gland and organ that plays a key role in the digestive system. It releases enzymes (a.k.a digestive juices) into the small intestine to help break down food once it has left the stomach. It’s about 6 inches long and sits across the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach and next to the liver. The pancreas also produces insulin and releases it into the bloodstream to regulate the body’s sugar level. A quick way of defining diabetes would be to say that diabetes is the condition you’d have if your pancreas doesn’t fulfill its function.

  1. What is insulin?

Insulin is an essential hormone for controlling blood sugar and energy absorption. Insulin is essential to stay alive as it enables our cells to get the energy required for them to function. If insulin levels are too high or too low continuously, serious health conditions start to develop, diabetes being the most important one.

  1. Why is diabetes called a metabolic condition?

The term metabolism usually refers to the breakdown of food and its transformation into energy. You can think of it as the whole set of chemical reactions that help maintain the living state of cells and organisms. A metabolic disorder is when something is wrong with the body's metabolism — the ability to turn food into energy and get rid of waste. Diabetes is a disruption in the channeling of energy to human cells and impedes metabolic function.

  1. What are Islet Cells?

Islet cells are clusters of cells located in the pancreas. They produce hormones and contain alpha and beta cells, two essential cells in managing glucose levels in the blood.

  1. What are Beta Cells and how are they different for people with diabetes?

Beta cells (β cells) are a type of cells found within islet cells in the pancreas. They synthesize and release insulin and amylin into the bloodstream. Patients with Type I or Type II diabetes have fewer beta-cells (between 50-70% of total cells in islets are beta-cells for a healthy human) and their function is diminished leading to insufficient insulin secretion and hyperglycemia.

Tweet this - "I'm so Alpha my Beta cells stopped working. #Diabetes"

  1. What is blood glucose and what are the numbers you should know?

Glucose is the main sugar that our body makes from the food in our diet. It is carried through the bloodstream to provide energy to all cells in the body. Cells cannot use glucose without the help of insulin.

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  1. What is insulin resistance and how does it lead to diabetes?

Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells fail to respond normally to the insulin hormone, which leads to high blood sugar. Before being characterized as Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance is often a consequence of being overweight and obesity (and sometimes skinny fat). Here's more about what being skinny fat means for your health.

  1. What is Type 1 diabetes?

Previously called juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes, Type 1 diabetes is the consequence of your immune system destroying beta-cells in your pancreas.

  1. What is Type 2 diabetes?

Previously called adult-onset diabetes, Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that happens as a result of your body not metabolizing food properly (a.k.a digesting, extracting and transforming into energy). Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body's cells resist the normal effect of insulin, which is to drive glucose in the blood into the inside of the cells. As a result, glucose starts to build up in the blood.

  1. What is Type 1.5 diabetes or LADA?

Type 1.5 is a common name for Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA). This new hybrid form of diabetes shares the same characteristics as both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. People with LADA tend to have a healthy weight and are usually diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 50 - older than typical for Type 1 but relatively young for Type 2 diabetes.

  1. When do we talk about Type 3 diabetes?

This is a new term characterizing diabetes-associated with Alzheimer’s disease. It occurs when neurons in the brain become unable to respond to insulin, which is essential for basic tasks, including memory and learning.

A new study from Guojun Bu, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic neuroscientist and Mary Lowell Leary Professor of Medicine, found that the central issue is the variant of the Alzheimer’s gene known as APOE4. "The team found that APOE4, which is present in approximately 20 percent of the general population and more than half of Alzheimer’s cases, is responsible for interrupting how the brain processes insulin. Mice with the APOE4 gene showed insulin impairment, particularly in old age. Also, a high-fat diet could accelerate the process in middle-aged mice with the gene. 'The gene and the peripheral insulin resistance caused by the high-fat diet together induced insulin resistance in the brain,' Dr. Bu says."

  1. What is prediabetes?

You can think of prediabetes as the corridor leading to Type 2 diabetes. It happens when blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be categorized as Type 2 diabetes.

9 out of 10 people with prediabetes don't know they have it. - Tweet this.

  1. What is gestational diabetes and when does it happen?

Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy and could disappear after giving birth. It can happen at any stage of pregnancy but is more common in the second or third trimester.

  1. What is 2-hour glucose?

Also called 2-hour glucose tolerance test or glucose tolerance test, it’s the gold standard test doctors use to determine whether you are prediabetic, have Type 2, or have gestational diabetes. Blood is drawn twice: first to determine a baseline blood sugar level and then a second time 2 hours after you drink a large glass of 75g of glucose diluted in 250-300 ml of water for adults. A glucose level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher is used to diagnose diabetes.

  1. What is “fasting glucose”?

A fasting blood sugar level, or fasting glucose level, is the result of a blood sample taken after a patient fasts for at least eight hours. A fasting blood sugar level less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) is normal while a fasting blood sugar level from 100-125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) is considered prediabetes. If it's 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher, you have diabetes.

  1. What is HbA1C?

Glycated hemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that is chemically linked to a sugar. The usual sugar is glucose. The formation of the sugar-Hb linkage indicates the presence of excessive sugar in the bloodstream, which is often indicative of diabetes. A1C is of particular interest because it is easy to detect. For people without diabetes, the normal range for the hemoglobin A1c level is between 4% and 5.6%. Hemoglobin A1c levels between 5.7% and 6.4% mean you have a higher chance of getting diabetes. Levels of 6.5% or higher mean you have diabetes.

  1. What’s Metformin and who is it for?

Metformin is an orally administered drug prescribed in cases of Type 2 diabetes. It is also called Glucophage (which means “eating glucose”) and is commonly prescribed as the first line of intervention.

  1. What are the three types of insulin injections? Which one is the best?

Fast-acting, intermediate-acting and long-acting. Your doctor will assign the best type of insulin for your case depending on how fast they act and when they peak.

  1. What is hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia happens when there is too little glucose in the blood. For people with diabetes, this is what happens when there is an imbalance between insulin dose and food, and exercise and/or medication. It can sometimes happen during sleep, which makes long-acting insulin advantageous for some people.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia:

  • Color draining from the skin (pallor)
  • Feeling shaky
  • Being nervous or anxious
  • Sweating, chills and clamminess
  • Irritability or impatience
  • Confusion
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
  • Hunger
  • Nausea
  • Headaches
  • Blurred/impaired vision
  • Seizures
  • Feeling weak or having no energy
  • Tingling or numbness in the lips, tongue, or cheeks
  • Coordination problems, clumsiness
  • Nightmares or crying out during sleep
  • Feeling Sleepy

Early Signs, Symptoms, and Risk Factors for Diabetes

  1. Dark patches on the skin is the first and only symptom of prediabetes.

While not everyone with diabetes experiences this, dark patches on the skin are the results of sugar buildups in the blood that end up causing discoloration to certain areas around the body (such as underarms, elbows, groin, behind the neck and knees). If you notice this on your skin, you should see a doctor immediately as prediabetes can be easily reversed when addressed properly.

  1. If you haven’t changed your diet or routine and notice sudden weight loss, this might be an early sign of insulin resistance and diabetes.

You might also feel sluggish and lethargic. Talk to your doctor to get your blood sugar level checked.

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  1. Frequent urination, or polyuria, is the most obvious sign of early diabetes.

It’s usually a sign that your body is trying to eliminate the excess sugar in your blood through urination.

  1. Dehydration: dry mouth, dry eyes, and thirst are symptoms of diabetes.

With excess urination, your body will be lacking fluids and pushing you to replace it, hence the thirst. This is also known as polydipsia.

  1. Being overweight or obese greatly increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

The likelihood of having diabetes and diabetes-related cardiovascular comorbidities increase with BMI regardless of physical activity. Similarly, the likelihood of having diabetes and diabetes-related cardiovascular comorbidities increased with BMI regardless of physical inactivity. Both BMI and physical activity are two separate risk factors, and it is important to pay attention to both.

  1. Waist-to-Height ratio (WtHR) is an even better predictor of health than Body Mass Index (BMI) and should be closely monitored to help prevent chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.

According to the latest studies, a healthy waist measurement should be less than half that of a person’s height. This means a 5ft (60 inch) tall person should aim to keep their waist less than 30 inches.

  1. PCOS is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes

Several recent studies conducted by researchers in Australia (from over 8,000 women, and published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism) found that those who had PCOS were 4 to 8.8 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than women who didn’t have PCOS. Additionally, they found that obesity was an important risk factor.

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  1. Pregnancy

Family history of diabetes, mother’s short stature (less than 4 feet 9 inches) and age (over 35) all increase the risk of gestational diabetes and Type 2 diabetes after giving birth.

  1. High blood pressure and diabetes share the same risk factors and often occur together.

Obesity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance cause secondary chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes.

  1. Age is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes. Important to note though, the prevalence of adult diabetes among children and teens grew more than 41% in the last three years as a consequence of the childhood obesity epidemic. - Tweet this

People over 45 are more likely to have Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed during childhood and in teenagers.

  1. Race and ethnic groups are a risk factor for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

In the United States, Caucasians are more likely to have Type 1 diabetes than African Americans and Hispanic Americans. However, the prevalence is completely different for Type 2 diabetes where Hispanic and Asian American communities are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than non-Hispanic whites.

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  1. Family history increases risk of prediabetes by 26%. - Tweet this.

The impact is more prevalent among the non-obese who are sheltered from other risk factors. For example, if you compare two groups of people: one of them has no risk factors at all, and the other has no other risk factors except for family history, the second group is 26% more likely to be prediabetic.

  1. Inactivity is a risk factor for diabetes even for people with a healthy weight.

This is important, the likelihood of having diabetes and diabetes-related cardiovascular comorbidities increase with BMI regardless of physical activity and increased with physical inactivity regardless of BMI. A healthy weight does not mean you don’t need to exercise.

  1. Periodontal changes and gum infection are the first clinical manifestations of diabetes.

Oral health complications can be evidence of long-standing, poorly controlled blood glucose levels.

  1. 35% of women with Type 2 diabetes experience sexual health challenges and vaginal infections.

Many people wonder if diabetes can affect you sexually. The answer? Yes. Vaginal dryness is the most prevalent sexual complaint in women with diabetes. Excess in blood sugar can also feed yeast and trigger vaginal infections.

Also, a 2012 study found that women who took insulin for diabetes were 80% more likely to have trouble reaching orgasm than women who do not have diabetes. - Tweet this.

  1. Diabetes can cause high ketones in urine which may be life-threatening.

When your cells burn fat instead of glucose to get energy, ketones show up in your blood and urine. This can lead to a coma and sometimes death.

  1. Extreme hunger, also called polyphagia, is one of the signs of insulin resistance and diabetes.

Insulin resistance may prevent your muscles and tissues from getting the energy they require to function. Your brain understands that as a “hunger” message and pushes you to seek more food even after eating adequate portions that should otherwise be satiating.

  1. Fatigue can persist even after glycemic control is achieved.

Fatigue often remains a frequent symptom in the general practice management of diabetes for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

  1. Blurred vision is also among the early signs of diabetes.

You may also get blurred vision when you start insulin treatment. This is mainly due to the pressure of blood glucose buildup on eye blood vessels which alter lens shapes.

  1. Diabetic patients’ bodies take a much longer time to heal from sores. This is mainly due to slow blood circulation which makes it difficult for the body to deliver nutrients to heal wounds.

As circulation slows down, blood moves more slowly, which makes it more difficult for the body to deliver nutrients to wounds.

  1. Forgetting how to do familiar tasks, misplacing objects.

Excess glucose buildup in brain blood vessels may lead to memory loss which can be both a symptom and a long-term complication of diabetes that could lead to dementia.

Tips to limit or prevent memory loss

  • Switch to a diet based on fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and low in fat. This diet has been connected to a lower risk of chronic degenerative diseases such as Alheimer's Disease.
  • Add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet which may help improve heart health and prevent cognitive decline.
  • Active compounds in Chinese medicine such as berberine or the ones found in ginseng and bitter melon may help with glucose and lipid metabolism. (Always check with your doctor before taking any supplements in case of any reactions with medication you may already be taking.)
  1. Depression is a risk factor that should indicate intensified screening for diabetes.

Depressive symptoms are associated with a significantly increased risk for incident diabetes.

Complications of Diabetes

Long-term complications of diabetes are often related to the damage caused to blood vessels. Most of them develop gradually and can be controlled and/or prevented with the proper combination of lifestyle improvement, medication and careful follow-up with your clinician. Here is a list of major diabetes complications:

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  1. Heart disease and stroke are the most common causes of death among adults with diabetes.

Diabetes can damage your blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart and surrounding blood vessels. The longer you have diabetes, the higher the chances that you will develop heart disease.

  1. Nerve damage (neuropathy) can lead to numbness and may lead to erectile dysfunction for men.

Excess glucose buildups can injure the walls of the capillaries (small blood vessels) that nourish your nerves, especially in your legs. This can cause numbness, tingling, burning or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spreads upward. Damage to the nerves related to digestion can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation.

  1. Kidney damage (nephropathy) can lead to dialysis or the need for a kidney transplant.

Diabetes can damage kidney blood vessels and impede their ability to filter waste from your blood.

  1. Diabetic eye disease is now the fifth most common cause of blindness.

Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness. Complications also include other serious vision conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma.

  1. Up to 34% of diabetic patients have foot ulcers, of which 10% can ultimately lead to toe, foot or leg amputation.

Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases the risk of various foot complications. Regular foot exams can reduce amputation rates by 45-85%.

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  1. Diabetes can lead to skin conditions such as bacterial and fungal infections, itching, Acanthosis nigricans, and digital sclerosis.

These might be the earliest signs of diabetes and can be reversed if managed properly. A complete guide to diabetes-related skin conditions from the Mayo Clinic can be found here.

  1. Diabetes may impact blood vessels in the ears.

Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes.

  1. Diabetes can impact brain blood vessels which may lead to Alzheimer's disease.

This is usually called Type 3 diabetes and is a direct consequence of poor blood sugar control. This is still an area where researchers are exploring multiple theories that have yet to be proven.

Complications of Gestational Diabetes

  1. C-section due to baby’s excess growth.

Macrosomia can be a complication of a mother’s gestational diabetes because extra glucose from gestational diabetes can cross the placenta and trigger insulin over-production in the baby’s pancreas. The size of the baby usually leads to a C-section birth.

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  1. Low blood sugar and need for an intravenous glucose solution for babies.

Baby’s hypoglycemia can be a consequence of the mother’s gestational diabetes immediately after birth.

  1. Type 2 diabetes later in life for the baby.

Mothers who had gestational diabetes during their pregnancies should be extra cautious in monitoring lifestyle factors that could lead to Type 2 diabetes for their babies later in life.

  1. Baby’s death before or after birth.

The risk of a baby’s death (before or after birth) is 30% higher among babies born to women whose gestational diabetes wasn’t treated with insulin.

  1. Preeclampsia can lead to serious complications for both mother and baby.

This comes with swelling in legs and feet as well as excess protein in urine and high blood pressure.

  1. Gestational diabetes in subsequent pregnancies.

Gestational diabetes is a risk factor to get Type 2 diabetes when you get older as well as subsequent gestational diabetes during future pregnancies.

Actionable steps to prevent, reverse, and/or manage diabetes

  1. Eat a plant-based diet.

Surprising, we know. Yet according to this groundbreaking study by clinical researcher, Dr. Neal Barnard, a low fat plant-based diet is the gold standard to reverse and manage Type 2 diabetes. The study was later built on by the scientific community and a plant-based diet was put to the test by NutritionFacts.org. Watch Dr. Neal Barnard break down how a plant-based diet reverses Type 2 diabetes below.

  1. Limit high-fat foods.

Because people with diabetes have an increased risk for heart disease, it is important to limit both saturated and trans fats. Find a full list of healthy and unhealthy fats from the ADA here.

  1. Eat low glycemic index foods.

The glycemic index, or GI, measures how a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose. For people with diabetes, it is important to maintain a GI of 55 or less. Most fruits and vegetables, beans, minimally processed grains, pasta, and nuts are considered low glycemic index foods.

  1. Eat at least 40 grams of fiber per day.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “In people with diabetes, fiber — particularly soluble fiber — can slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels. A healthy diet that includes insoluble fiber may also reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.”

  1. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends people not go more than two consecutive days without an aerobic exercise session.

Physical activity makes your cells more sensitive to insulin so they work more effectively.

  1. Engage in 30 min. of weight and resistance training every other day.

Glucose from your food is mainly absorbed by your muscle tissue, resistance training, which builds muscle mass, is particularly good at improving blood sugar absorption after meals. Additionally, resistance training uses a lot of energy, otherwise known as calories, so it’s a great weight-management option as well.

  1. Practice yoga.

As a mind-body practice, yoga can help attain glycemic control (you can read more about the study here) and reduces the risk of complications in people with diabetes. As a result, psychological stress from complications that worsen the severity of diabetes are reduced.

  1. Consider swimming.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “swimming stretches and relaxes your muscles and doesn't put pressure on your joints, which is great for people with diabetes. For those with diabetes or at risk for developing diabetes, studies show it improves cholesterol levels, burns calories and lowers stress levels.”

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  1. Stationary cycling.

One of the important benefits of cycling for people with diabetes is it increases blood flow in the legs and burns a lot of calories.

  1. Quit smoking.

The CDC reports that smoking causes Type 2 diabetes. Additionally, people with diabetes who smoke are more likely than nonsmokers to have trouble with insulin dosing, and as a result with controlling their disease. Because nicotine hardens and narrows blood vessels, it is incredibly dangerous for diabetics and prediabetics.

  1. Drink lots of water to eliminate excess glucose through urine: 13 glasses of water/day for men and 9 for women.

When glucose levels are high, drinking water is important to help the kidneys flush excess sugar out of the body. Due to the fact that high levels of glucose draw out fluids, people with diabetes are also more prone to dehydration.

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  1. Drinking up to 6 cups per day of green tea may lower your risk of Type 2 diabetes.

The polyphenols in green tea can help regulate glucose in the body as well as support metabolic function.

  1. During a diabetes reversal program, avoiding alcoholic drinks may help control blood sugar.

Alcohol contains a high amount of calories. Combined with the calories, it also has a high amount of sugar, so it can cause your glucose levels to spike or plummet. Avoid alcohol and make sure to speak with your doctor about what consumption you may be able to enjoy and when.

  1. For T1D, take insulin and check blood sugar level as prescribed coupled with a whole foods, plant-based diet.

A WFPB (whole foods, plant based) diet coupled with insulin as prescribed by your doctor helps boost insulin sensitivity and makes glucose levels more predictable. Additionally, eating lots of fruits and vegetables reduces your risk of diabetic neuropathy and kidney disease, while increasing your energy for the exercise that is also important for managing diabetes.

Patient Advocacy Groups

  1. Consider participating in the American Diabetes Association’s Call for Congress advocacy campaign.

It's for kids, adults, and those affected by diabetes.

  1. Encourage kids to apply to JDRF 2019 Children’s Congress.

They'll be able to meet with lawmakers, share their stories, and advocate for federal funding of TD1 research.

  1. Find local state and national advocacy opportunities to help people with diabetes be safe and informed.

Stay informed about the latest clinical trials and read the latest research from the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, or find community in an online forum through the diaTribe Foundation.

  1. Sign up for WeTheTrillions diabetes reversal and management newsletter.

You will receive the latest research and be alerted to programs near to fight diabetes. Sign up for the newsletter in the bottom section here.

  1. Sign up for the Diabetes Advocacy Alliance government affairs newsletter.

It focuses on information about policy, research, events, and data on everything from prevention, screening and detection, clinical care, education and more.

  1. Become a member of the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition.

It's a professional group of people working to promote and support public policy initiatives to improve the health of people with diabetes.

  1. Donate to one of the many organizations working to educate, inspire, and support people living with diabetes and their loved ones.

Find a list of great charities here.

Useful Apps

  1. Omada Health, an app and connected device paid combo, empowers people with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes

By helping them achieve their health goals through sustainable lifestyle change with a health coach, connected devices, lessons, online peer group, and a personalized action list.

  1. Better Therapeutics for healthcare providers and patients.

A medical app combining neuroscience, lifestyle medicine, and artificial intelligence to target the behaviors that cause cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes. Learn more for patients here.

  1. MySugr, free on iOS and Android, a customizable dashboard that syncs with your glucose monitor.

It also sends reminders for follow-up data, and is easily shared with your doctor.

  1. Glucose Buddy, free for iPhone and Android, tracks insulin, medications, A1C results, and carb intake.

The app also syncs with the Dexcom G5 and G6 glucose monitoring systems.

  1. Medical ID, pre-installed on iPhones and is free to download on Android.

The app alerts first responders of any medical condition, emergency contacts, and special needs even when the phone screen is locked.

  1. BlueStar Diabetes, free for iPhone and Android, an FDA-approved, Class 2 medical app that provides 24/7, real-time coaching from certified diabetes educators.

This comprehensive app is available only by prescription and offers an impressive range of tools tailored to the individual. Only for people 21 years and older with Type 2 diabetes. It should not be used by those with Type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes, or those who use an insulin pump.

  1. Glucagon, free for iOS users, primarily gives text and video instructions for using glucagon injections.

It also tracks glucagon kit locations and expiration dates as well as giving reminder notifications.

  1. BD Diabetes Care, free for iOS users, helps people manage T1 and T2 diabetes and is like having a personal assistant powered by artificial intelligence without a prescription.

Speak to a personal diabetes assistant available 24/7, keep a diabetes log, get access to a range of healthy recipes, and other tools to help you maintain a normal blood sugar level. Due to the AI, the more you use it, the better it works for you.

  1. GlucoseZone, free for iOS and Android, an exercise streaming platform that helps give guidance on how different types of physical exertion might impact their diabetes.

It helps people with diabetes-out safely for better long-term habits.

  1. Diabetes:M, free for iPhone and Android, is a log app with all the essential features.

What really sets this app apart are the integrations with fitness apps and blood sugar trend mapping.

  1. Diabetes Connect, free for iPhone and Android, allows you to customize the dashboard for information you care about and access it from the app or a web browser.

You can also export and print your data to share with your doctor for more productive, actionable appointments.

  1. OneTouch Reveal, free for iPhone and Android, complements the OneTouch Verio Flex meter and offers automatic insights into your personal trends with push notifications to take action if needed. Also, your physician can log in to review your history and adjust your care plan.

You can find more information on apps that sync to your existing monitors here, from the American Diabetes Association.

Curbing the Diabetes Epidemic in Your Community

  1. Get active by participating in the JDRF Fundraising Walk.

You can also attend other events listed on their website.

  1. Join thousands of medical pracitioners in signing the petition to call for a Town Hall Debate on public health prevention.

Highlighting preventable chronic illnesses like diabetes as a focal point of the national healthcare conversation could start to turn the tide toward better patient outcomes, reduced healthcare costs, and more healthful communities.

  1. Join your American Diabetes Association local chapter.

There are a number of ways to find community through the American Diabetes Association, both online and offline. From the online Count Me In community, to camp for families, and local chapter events, there is something for everyone.

  1. Participate on a Reddit channel.

Find communities on diabetes which is the largest with 46,000 members, T1 diabetes, Type1Diabetes, T2 diabetes, and Gestational Diabetes.

  1. Join Meetup groups across the United States for people interested in everything relating to diabetes, from social to philanthropic events and communities.

You can check them out here.

  1. Easily input your city on Eventbrite to find in-person community events near you.

You can also find oline events and webinars by searching the "Location" box for Online Events.

Diabetes in numbers

  1. More than 30 million Americans have diabetes. 84 million have prediabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, that’s 1 in every 10 adults being diagnosed with diabetes and the numbers are showing no signs of slowing down.

HCP-infographic

This infographic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also available in Spanish here.

  1. Today, 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report though that number is on track to double if not triple by 2050 to 1 in 3 adults. - Tweet this

The sharp rise in prevalence and diagnosis over the next 40 years is due to an aging population with more opportunity to develop Type 2 diabetes, increases in high risks for minority groups for Type 2 diabetes, and lastly that people with diabetes are living longer.

  1. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90% to 95% of all diabetes cases, according to the CDC.

Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disorder; Type 2 is a lifestyle condition developed primarily by eating a poor diet. The costly epidemic is largely avoidable and reversible using lifestyle methods like eating a whole foods, plant-based diet and exercising regularly.

  1. Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States in 2015.

The leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease. Due to common complications of diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association, 252,806 death certificates list diabetes as an underlying or contributing cause of death to the leading killers in America like heart disease and stroke.

  1. Diabetes Type 1 and 2 are increasing in children.

Over a 10-year time span from 2002 to 2012, a report studying over 14,000 children from ages 0 to 18 funded by the CDC and NIH, found the rate of newly diagnosed cases of Type 1 increase by 1.8% each year and 4.8% each year for Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes risk is higher among families. Here are some prevention tips:

  • drink water, and limit sugary drinks
  • eat more fruits and vegetables
  • limit high calorie and processed food
  • make physical activity fun and part of a regular routine
  • get the whole family involved
  • stay positive and make it fun
  • take small steps
  1. The CDC reported an increase in young boys diagnosed with Type 1, and an increase in young girls with Type 2 diabetes.

The same study as in #100, went further in understanding new diagnosis of diabetes in young children. Girls are being diagnosed at a higher rate (6.2%) with Type 2 diabetes, while boys are being diagnosed with Type 1 at a rate of 2.2%.

  1. About 15 million women in the United States have diabetes, or about 1 in every 9 adult women. - Tweet this

That’s more than the average American. Women are at a higher risk and are diagnosed with diabetes slightly more often than their male counterparts. - U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Women’s Health

  1. Complications with diabetes go beyond heart disease, especially for women.

Women with diabetes also have a higher risk for problems getting pregnant as well as during pregnancy. Including the potential health problems for her and her baby, and repeated urinary and vaginal infections. - U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Women’s Health

  1. Survival rates for women with diabetes are less than men.

Compared to men with diabetes, women with both types of diabetes have a higher risk for heart disease (the most common complication of diabetes), lower survival rates and a poorer quality of life after a heart attack. - U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Women’s Health

  1. For pregnant women, diabetes can cause many additional complications.

From difficulties such as a miscarriage or a baby born with birth defects, diabetes is critical to manage for women during their fertility years. - American Diabetes Association

  1. Women are at a higher risk for heart attacks.

Women with diabetes are also more likely to have a heart attack at a younger age than women without diabetes. - American Diabetes Association

  1. Depression in women with diabetes is twice as high as for men with diabetes.

In total, the rate of depression in people with diabetes is much higher than in the general population.

  1. The total cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2017 was $327 billion.

Aside from the expense of hospitalization and multiple prescription drugs to manage the complications of diabetes ($237 billion was for direct medical costs), a great deal is lost due to reduced productivity ($90 billion).

2018-cost-of-diabetes 5

  1. People with diabetes have to spend 2.3 times more than those without diabetes.

After adjusting for population age and sex differences, people with diagnosed diabetes incur average medical expenditures of $16,752 per year, of which about $9,601 is attributed to diabetes. - American Diabetes Association, Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2017

  1. $1 in $4 health care dollars is spent treating diabetes and its complications. - Tweet this

Since people with diabetes already spend an average of 2.3 more dollars on healthcare than people without (Tweet this), this adds up to a lot very quickly and could mean the difference between something as small as a movie ticket or as large as a family vacation. - American Diabetes Association

  1. The single largest medical expense for diabetics are hospitalizations and prescriptions to manage complications.

The unfortunate journey of the chronic condition if not managed properly is the loss of eyesight, amputations, and other situations requiring an inpatient hospital stay. Inpatient care makes up 30% of total medical costs, prescription medications make up another 30%, anti-diabetic agents and diabetes supplies make up another 15%, and physician office visits account for 13%. - American Diabetes Association

  1. The high cost of the disease and its corresponding complications, lead to financial crises and keep Emergency Rooms full.

Even though most of the cost for diabetes care in the U.S. (67.3%) is provided by Medicare, Medicaid, and the military, those who don’t have insurance have 168% more emergency department visits. How people end up in the ER is that they aren’t able to afford the office visits or prescriptions that could have helped manage their condition. - American Diabetes Association

Latest research on Cures

  1. Pancreas and islet transplants are already possible but come with many important drawbacks that outweigh the benefits.

Two main drawbacks occur with transplants: the scarcity of compatible organ donors and the fact that patients need to stay on risky prescription drugs for the rest of their lives while still requiring insulin injections.

  1. Curing Type 1 diabetes requires finding a way to help patients make their own insulin.

According to JDFR, a cure for Type 1 diabetes should not only stop the immune system from destroying the cells that make insulin but also replace the cells that have been lost.

  1. Encapsulation research aims to give people cells that are protected from immune attacks.

Pancreas transplantation is already possible but comes with many drawbacks that could be solved if the beta-cells are coated or “encapsulated” to be protected from any immune attack before putting them in the patient’s body.

  1. Regeneration research focuses on finding ways to get the body to grow new insulin-producing cells.

If successful, this research can lead to a cure of Type 1 diabetes without the need for a transplant from a donor.

  1. Immune therapy research tackles the Type 1 diabetes condition from the immune system point of view: the goal is to stop it from attacking insulin-producing cells.

This research is critical, as even in cases of successful results for regeneration and/or encapsulation research, beta-cells can still be attacked by the immune system. Many world-class researchers are currently working on this issue.

  1. Scientist Zhen Gu backed by the American Diabetes Associations has published research describing how a smart patch can mimic the beta cell’s ability to sense blood glucose level and release insulin.

This research is critical as even in case of successful results for regeneration and/or encapsulation research, beta-cells can still be attacked by the immune system. Many world-class researchers are currently working on this issue.

Podcasts

  1. Exam Room Podcast by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, a 120,000-physician strong nonprofit dedicated to saving and improving human and animal lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research.

In the Reversing Diabetes Episode, Dr. Neal Barnard explains the science behind how a low-fat, plant-based diet works to address the root cause of Type 2 diabetes by reducing fat buildup in the cells.

er-reversing-diabetes-fb

  1. The Plant Proof Podcast with Simon Hill aims to make complex topics around health and sustainability simple.

Episode #58 with Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D., F.A.C.C. and founder of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is rich with information in managing and reversing T2 diabetes as the leading pioneer of lifestyle medicine having conducted the leading clinical trials of the field. 121. NutritionFacts.org is a science-based nonprofit founded by Dr. Greger that provides free, bite-sized educational materials on the latest in nutrition research with audio podcasts as well as video podcasts.

As the go-to resource for easy, science-backed information, there are multiple episodes on how to manage diabetes through lifestyle. Some highlights are #32: How Not to Die from Diabetes, #27: Plant-Based Diets for Diabetes, and #22: Plant-Based Diets & Diabetes.

  1. Plant Yourself Podcast with Howard Jacobson Ph.D. aims to inspire and empower listeners to make big changes for yourself, your family, your community, and our planet.

There are several episodes about the research done on plant-based diets for managing diabetes. Some highlights are #18: Brenda Davis: Defeating Diabetes and Debunking Paleo (she is a plant-based Registered Dietitian, and co-author of eight books, including Defeating Diabetes and Becoming Vegan) and #43: Joseph Gonzalez (from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine), Common Supermarket Killers, and Peanut M&Ms.

Documentaries to Watch

  1. The “Drug Pricing” Episode of Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj on Netflix (episode aired February 17, 2019)

Hasan Minhaj, a comedian, writer, producer, and political commentator dives deep into how insulin makers are price-fixing the life-saving insulin drug with his humorous and sometimes profane presentations.

  1. Forks Over Knives (2011) available on Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services

A documentary in which researchers, scientists, and physicians explore how people changing their diets from animal-based to plant-based can help eliminate or control diseases like cancer and diabetes.

  1. Fed Up (2014) is by filmmaker Stephanie Soechtig and journalist Katie Couric

They investigate how the American food industry and its use of sugar may be responsible for the obesity epidemic and related chronic diseases like diabetes. Through interviews with top food experts like Michael Pollan, Marion Nestle, Robert Lustig, and Mark Bittman, the film investigates issues surrounding government involvement and its role in subsidizing and thereby endorsing the sale of unhealthy, sugar-laden products to adults and children. 126. Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days (2009)

It is a film following the stories of six people with diabetes that switch to a vegan diet, full of organic and uncooked food to reverse the disease without medication.

  1. A Touch of Sugar (2019), a film narrated by Viola Davis

The film is about the emotional, social, and public perceptions of the Type 2 diabetes healthcare epidemic that statistically affects every household in the United States unnoticed.

  1. Game Changers (2018)

It is a documentary film that follows former UFC fighter James Wilks while he travels the world and interviews elite athletes that follow plant-based diets such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrik Baboumian, and Dotsie Bausch.

Diabetes Trends Around the World

  1. The global prevalence of diabetes among adults over 18 years old has risen from 4.7% in 1980 to 8.5% in 2014.

That’s nearly double globally in roughly 30 years. - Tweet this

  1. In 2019, approximately 463 million adults were living with diabetes

It is projected to rise to 700 million by 2045. - Tweet this

  1. According to the International Diabetes Federation,in 2019 79% of adults with diabetes were living in low- and middle-income countries.

IDF stat

  1. In 2019, 1 in 2 (232 million) people with diabetes were undiagnosed. - Tweet this

  2. Diabetes is one of the top seven leading causes of death globally .

It is related to three others in the top seven group: heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s.

  1. The number of diabetics worldwide in 2017 sorted by region shows the Western Pacific has the highest with 159 million diagnosed.

Followed by Southeast Asia with 82 million, Europe with 58 million, North American and the Caribbean at 46 million, Middle East and North Africa at 39 million.

In a nutshell

That’s quite a list. Instead of being overwhelmed by diabetes, this guide is meant to empower and encourage you as a person with diabetes to live your healthiest and happiest.

If there is one take-away to keep in mind it would be this one: lifestyle changes like adopting a managed plant-based diet along with regular exercise can go a long way in shaping your story with diabetes.

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