Turkey Meatballs with Zucchini #278

One severe and all-too-common complication of Type 2 diabetes is kidney disease and their subsequent failure. Diabetic kidney disease is diagnosed by a test that looks for albumin, or the presence of protein in the urine. Albumin is a molecule usually found in the blood. When the kidneys filter blood, they keep the albumin in the bloodstream where it belongs. When the kidneys begin spilling albumin into the urine, a condition called albuminuria results. If it is allowed to go on or become worse, the kidneys can eventually shut down altogether. When that happens, the diabetic needs dialysis (artificial kidney), or a kidney transplant. When the diabetic receives a diagnosis of albuminuria, they are also in danger of having or developing heart and blood vessel disease.

Have you been recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes? And yes, there are reasons why you should feel upset. But take comfort in knowing this form of diabetes is a disease over which you can exercise a large amount of control. Whether you have just been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or have been living with the disease for several years, diabetes is a disease that can be reversed and controlled. Do not think of yourself as a victim: think of yourself as a person who has choices to make.

Diabetes is among the current top killer diseases worldwide. Diabetes is a condition blood sugar deviates from the normal level. It is a life to death disease. Diabetes type II results from insulin not being used by the cells. Insulin is a hormone produced to keep blood sugar level at normal by pancreatic cells. Sugar builds up results from the resistance of the cells to insulin.

Over the past 20 years, the global epidemic of obesity explains the dramatic increase in the incidence and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. The precise reasons that link the two conditions are – blur and yet, excess weight is an established risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Many times, obese individuals do not develop type 2 diabetes.

In July of 2017, the online journal Scientific Reports (Nature) published an article on diabetic retinopathy and the importance to people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes of keeping on top of their blood pressure reading. Workers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil studied five hundred and forty-four Type 2 diabetics who were at high risk for developing diabetic retinopathy, a severe eye disease. Over the course of six years, the participants had an annual eye examination. Their blood pressure reading was taken as they went about their normal routines. Their aorta (artery from the heart to the rest of the body), was examined for stiffness. By the end of the study, one hundred and fifty-six of the participants either developed diabetic retinopathy or saw the condition grow worse.

There is much debate as to whether or not Type 2 diabetes is a preventable disease. Some believe there is little that can be done to stop its development, as it is mostly defined by genetics. Some people are more predisposed to this form of diabetes, so the influence of genes is real. Certain ethnicities come to mind, not to mention family history is also a proven factor. Believing there is not a preventable component to developing Type 2 diabetes would be a misunderstanding. In fact, three factors can make a difference.