Senior Health Connection news letter Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital Center !$&Ot<f fat && 1 /1 V Are you one of the 10*3 million with Diabetes? (Information taken from NIH Senior Health) According to data collected in 2005 about 10.3 million people 60 years of age and older have diabetes. Unfortunately many of those seniors do not know they are suffering from this quiet disease until damage has already begun. Over time diabetes that is not well controlled can cause serious damage to eyes, kidneys, nerves, gums, teeth, and heart. Diabetes means that you have too much glucose or blood sugar in you blood. We use glucose in our blood to give us energy but too the glucose to all the cells of your body where it is converted to energy. The body uses a hormone called insulin which is made by the pancreas, insulin must be present to allow glucose to pass into our cells. If your body doesn't make enough insulin or If the insulin doesn't work the way it should the glucose can't pass into your cells. Glucose then stays in your blood and the glucose level can get too high, causing diabetes or prediabetes. About 90-95 percent of people with diabetes has type 2 diabetes. Pre-diabetes means that your blood glucose is high but not high enough for the diagnose of diabetes. If you have pre-diabetes you can reduce the risk of getting June 2011 blurry vision, unexplained weight loss, being very thirsty, and because you cells are lacking glucose many people experience increase hunger and feeling tired. If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes you can make some simple lifestyle changes helping to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. • Eating a healthy diet can have the greatest impact on your health. By making good food choices you can keep cholesterol levels low, blood pressure normal, and control your weight. • Be physically active every day. Physical activity helps control you cholesterol, blood pressure, lose weight, and improves your body's ability much blood glucose is harm type 2 diabetes with modest to use insulin. Strive for at ful for your health. weight loss and moderate least 150 minutes a week activity. of moderate physical ac We get glucose from tivity. the foods we eat and it is Be aware of these also made in our liver and signs of diabetes; sores that muscles. Your blood carries heal slowly, dry itchy skin, 8'5