In light of Diabetes Awareness Month, Wexner Medical Center doctors weigh in on the growing rate of diabetes. Credit: Courtesy of TNS
In the next decade, the percentage of Americans who are diabetic or pre-diabetic is expected to rise by nearly 16 percent, a diabetes educator at the Wexner Medical Center said.
Janet Zappe, an educator and registered nurse at the medical center, said the disease is on the verge of exploding. About 9.4 percent of Americans, or 30.3 million people, have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — another 84 million have pre-diabetes. The American Diabetes Association estimates 1.5 million people are diagnosed every year.
With November being Diabetes Awareness Month, staff at the medical center raised concerns regarding the expected increase in diabetic Americans and offered guidance on reducing the risk of the disease.
Pre-diabetes — when the blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet high enough for official diagnosis — precedes Type 2 diabetes, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that attacks part of the pancreas, shutting down the ability to produce insulin, Zappe said. Type 2 is far more common and usually genetically linked; if children have parents with Type 2, there is a 50 percent chance of developing Type 2 themselves.
Pre-diabetes affects almost three times the number of people who are currently diagnosed, and Zappe said if people aren’t careful, they can develop the disease in five to 10 years.
Zappe said some of the typical symptoms of pre-diabetes are unquenchable thirst, frequent trips to the bathroom — which most people notice at night — and tiredness, blurred vision and weight loss.
Elizabeth Buschur, a physician specializing in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the medical center, said diabetes can be challenging at any phase of life because most people’s lifestyles change.
“Especially that first freshman year of college, like moving away from home, living with roommates, new activities, a new schedule and new foods,” Buschur said. “When eating in the cafeteria, eating on the go, or for some, it’s the first time preparing their own food, which can make it challenging.”
It is important for a student with diabetes to discuss their illness with their roommates and what they should do in low- or high-blood sugar emergencies. Diabetic students should also establish a support system with new roommates, Buschur said.
Zappe said to eat a balanced diet with correct portion sizes, exercise and stay away from sugary drinks.
George Kyriazis, an assistant professor of biological chemistry and pharmacology, said there is a misconception that artificial sweeteners can cause obesity and diabetes, and people with Type 1 still need to replace the sugars they aren’t getting with artificial sweeteners.
Kyriazis said diabetes correlates with aging, and people have a higher chance of developing Type 2 as they get older.
Buschur said diabetes treatment can be received at either Nationwide Children’s Hospital or the medical center.
“We see patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where we help them transition from their pediatric doctor to an adult diabetes doctor,” Buschur, also director of the Young Adult Diabetes Transition Clinic at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said. “They will come see myself or one of my colleagues at OSU, and we help care for their diabetes, as well as their overall health.”
