Health
Jennifer MacKinnon, regional director of the Canadian Diabetes Association in North East Ontario.
Are you at risk of developing diabetes?
Winter 2010 |
When Rene Trottier was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he was concerned. But soon he realized, “It wasn't a death sentence...(but) I have to be careful.” Trottier volunteers with the Canadian Diabetes Association, and he teaches information seminars about the disease. “The most common question people have about diabetes is, 'Does sugar cause it.' The answer is no," says the retired educator, who worked for the Ministry of Education for many years. "The second most common question: 'Is it serious.' The answer is yes." Left untreated diabetes can lead to heart disease, blindness, nerve damage or kidney disease. Eighty percent of Canadians with diabetes die from a heart attack or a stroke; a high percent of kidney dialysis patients have diabetes. Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile-onset diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Most people develop type 1 diabetes before the age of 30. Type 1 is always treated with insulin. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood. It occurs when there it too much glucose in the blood because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or because the body does not effectively use the insulin produced. Insulin is important because it allows glucose to leave the blood and enter the body's cells. Type 2 diabetes is managed through physical activity and meal planning and may require medications and/or insulin, according to information from the Canadian Diabetes Association. Symptoms of diabetes include unusual thirst, frequent urination, weight change, blurred vision and extreme fatigue. Many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms. Trottier began to lose weight for no reason. “It is not painful until there is complications,” says Trottier. For this reason, some people avoid seeing their doctors or ignore their advice. Age, weight, lifestyle and genetics all play a part in the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. "While we can't change our age or genetics, we can change what we eat, our weight, and how much exercise we get," says Trottier. He maintains an active lifestyle. He tries to walk four kilometres daily, and he watches what he eats. He tests his blood glucose levels twice a day, and he takes oral medication. "Stress is as bad as sugar because it raises your blood pressure. I wasn't one for desserts to start with," Trottier says, to reinforce that eating too many sweets does not cause diabetes. “Today more than nine million Canadians are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes”, says Jennifer MacKinnon, regional director of the Canadian Diabetes Association in North East Ontario. “Pre-diabetes is a condition that, if left unchecked, puts you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” she says. Her organization wants to make people aware of the personal and economic costs of the disease. There is an estimated three million Canadians with diabetes. The economic burden in Ontario is estimated to be $4.9 billion in 2010. It is important to educate people so they can live longer and healthier lives. It is also important to invest in research to find a cure, MacKinnon says. The Ontario Diabetes Cost Model estimates 1,169,000 people in the province have been diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes in 2010. There are approximately three million Canadians with diabetes. This number is expected to increase by 734,000 over the next decade to 1,903,000 or 11.9 percent of the population of Ontario. MacKinnon says there is an increase in the number of people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes because Canadians are getting older, live sedentary lifestyles, and many are overweight or obese. As well people of Aboriginal descent are five times more likely than the general population to develop type 2 diabetes. And new Canadians of Hispanic, Asian, South Asian, or African descent are also susceptible to the disease. The Canadian Diabetes Association is not government funded and does its good work with donations and fundraising activities. The association in Sudbury offers patients and their families support, conducts education campaigns, advocates for people with diabetes, operates a summer camp for children, and funds research, says MacKinnon. Fundraising activities include the SudburyROCKS!!! Race, Run or Walk for Diabetes each spring. Team Diabetes challenges also raise money for the association. Team Diabetes participants train for events at Canadian and international destinations. Sudbury Living publisher Patricia Mills and Laurentian Media chief accountant Deb Sizer took up the challenge to hike the Grand Canyon in October. (see sidebar) The association also operates the Clothesline program, and more than likely Sudbury residents have received a phone call asking for donations of clothes and household items. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the discovery of insulin at the University of Toronto in 1921-22. Insulin is a life-saving treatment for people suffering from diabetes, and it is hailed as one of the 20th century's greatest medical discoveries by a four-man research team: physician Frederick Banting, professor J.J.R. Macleod and biochemist J.B. Collip and graduate student Charles Best. (Best's son, Henry, was president of Laurentian University for many years.) Since 1975 the Charles H. Best Research Fund has awarded more than $95 million in research grants to scientists. A total of 117 researchers are being funded from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. How is diabetes treated? Regular physical activity helps the body lower blood glucose levels, promotes weight loss, reduces stress and enhances overall fitness. Type 1 diabetes is always treated with insulin. Type 2 diabetes is managed through physical activity and meal planning and may require medications and/or insulin to assist your body in controlling blood glucose more effectively. What, when and how much you eat all play an important role in regulating blood glucose levels. Maintaining a healthy weight is especially important in the management of type 2 diabetes. Learning to reduce stress levels in day-to-day life can help people with diabetes better manage their disease. High blood pressure can lead to eye disease, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, so people with diabetes should try to maintain a blood pressure level at or below 130/80. To do this, it may be necessary to change eating and physical activity habits and/or take medication.
Diabetes education is an important first step. All people with diabetes need to be informed about their condition.
Source: Canadian Diabetes Association
