Descriptive Epidemiology: Type-2 Diabetes

Bckground While modern lifestyles and medical care have certainly improved the longevity of humans in the developed world, and contributed to a greater quality of life scenario, those same lifestyles have engendered a number of issues that contribute to disease. Lack of proper diet, fast food, high fat and carbohydrate diets without adequate fruits and vegetables, lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol contribute to an epidemic of obesity which, in turn, contributes to a serious metabolic disorder called Diabetes Mellitus Type 2. While not managed by insulin injections, it is nevertheless quite serious and has a number of progressing symptoms that, if not treated properly, can result in cardiovascular, renal and neurological problems, as well as amputation, ocular issues, and even cognitive dysfunction.

There are several factors, however, that can increase a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Primary concern and cause of type 2 diabetes is obesity or overweight, people over the normal weight baseline of the BMI spectrum. America has always been known as the country that is two/thirds obese and many of American habits contribute to the following daily bad decisions that seem related to type 2 diabetes. Poor eating habits are the number one cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes, choosing to eat bad food and lots of soda can have tremendous effects on your weight and glucose intake. Watching too much television (T.V.) is another related issue towards diabetes, most likely eating snacks while watching your favorite show or movies. Physical inactivity causes the body to have a high blood glucose causing diabetes; muscles use the glucose through physical activity by helping the hormone insulin absorb glucose into all your body cells. Your muscles use glucose better than it uses fat. Sleeping habits such as sleeping less than 5 hours or more than 9 hours a night can affect the body’s balance of insulin and increase the demand on the pancreas to make it. Lastly, genetics has played a big role in determining if a person is at risk for type 2 diabetes. Your risk is higher if your brother, sister, or parent have type 2 diabetes. Genetics is a factor that is out of our control and it is

Accompanying genetics, environmental factors, such as lack of exercise and obesity, play major roles in causing type II diabetes.

This essay will focus on type 2 diabetes, which is becoming one of the fast growing chronic health conditions in the United Kingdom (UK). Approximately 700 people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes each day in the UK (Diabetes Uk, (2014)a). It is costing the NHS about £10billion pounds each year to treat diabetes along with its complication and it is expected to rise in the next couple of years (Diabetes UK, (2014)b).

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According to the American Diabetes Association, more Americans die each year from diabetes than from AIDS and breast cancer combined. As a result, researchers have extensively studied the causes, treatments, and interventions for diabetes. Despite efforts to ameliorate its effects, diabetes remains a prevalent danger in society. In 2014, 7% of U.S. adults were living with diagnosed diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). In Louisiana that number was even higher - 10.4% of adults have been diagnosed with diabetes. Breaking it down by age group, however, in Louisiana 3% of people aged 18 and 44 have been diagnosed, and 15.2% of people 45-64. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015a). Several studies have predicted future rates of diabetes both in the United States and worldwide - nearly all of these studies reached a similar conclusion: rates of diabetes will continue to rise (Boyle et al., 2001).

Type II diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people in the United States and is also a disease that is continually growing in numbers. The cost of the individual and national health care systems is also a number that is growing. Policy for prevention of diabetes and pre-diabetes is something that while has changed some in the past, has been basically the same for the past 20-25 yeas. This disease affects many throughout the country, but effects those in the middle and lower classes due to the cost of eating healthier being greater than the alternative and also due to the fact that these groups are less likely to go for routine health care.

The increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is causing huge health problem through out the world including developed countries. Mostly people with low income groups are affected in developed countries (Zimmet 2001).The magnitude of the healthcare problem of type 2 diabetes results mainly from its association with obesity and cardiovascular risk factors. Indeed, type 2 diabetes has now been identified as one manifestation of the “metabolic syndrome”, a condition characterised by insulin resistance and associated with a range of cardiovascular factors (Jonathan 2003)

Diabetes affects over 180 million people in the US and is projected that by 2025 this figure will increase to 300 million.

Type II diabetes is a mixture of both genetic and environmental factors. It is a metabolic disorder that affects the way the body processes blood sugar due to the fact that the body cannot produce enough insulin. The victim often feels fatigued and thirsty that leads to frequent urination. Obesity is believed to be the primary cause of Type II diabetes to those who are genetically predisposed. Based on the American Diabetes Association, non-Hispanic blacks are second in being diagnosed with diabetes with 13.2%. Type II diabetes can come with many effects

The entire concept of diabetes is about living on the edge of trouble. While Type 1 Diabetes is a biological condition associated with a fundamental flaw in the way one's body produces or reacts to insulin a substance that controls and monitors sugar in the blood and cells Type 2 Diabetes is a social and cultural condition. Those most likely groups of people to have to live with it are persons of non-white nationalities (increasingly Hispanics and Asians) who live at or below the US poverty level and/or who have not achieved a very high level of educational advancement (California Department of Public Health, 2010). And in places like San Diego County, California, this puts a major number of people, young and old, quite literally on the border of health and wellness disasters.

This may account for about 5% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. The insulin production is, therefore, impaired and this affects almost one million people in the U.S. Risk factors are less definite for type 1 diabetes than for type 2 diabetes, but autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are involved in emerging this type of diabetes. Obesity is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes also known as adult-onset diabetes, may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. “This is especially true for women, for 39.9% of African American women, compared with 24.0% of white American women have abdominal obesity”. (Marshall, 2005). Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, family history of diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. Information from the CDC states, the treatment for type 1 diabetes is healthy eating, physical activity, and insulin injections. The amount of insulin taken must be balanced with food intake and daily activities. Blood glucose levels must be closely monitored through frequent blood glucose testing. Type 2 treatment is the same; however, blood glucose testing is needed. In addition, many people with type 2 diabetes require oral medication, insulin, or both to control their blood glucose levels. People should also eat more fiber by eating more

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose). It is a common disease. It has both environmental and genetics determinants. Some of the causes of type two diabetes are gaining weight, eating foods or drinks with sugar, lack of exercise, stress, stress hormones. These are the environmental causes and people can withstand these by the way they live. People do not have control over genetics. Type 2 affects chromosomes 20, 17, 13, 12, and 7.

Type 2 diabetes is a very well known disease throughout the US. There are about 27 million people in the US with the disease and 86 million others have prediabetes which means their blood glucose is not right but also not high enough to be diabetes yet. 208,000 people under the age of twenty have been diagnosed with either Type 1 or 2 Diabetes.

“A major concern at this time is the rapid climb in incidence of Type 2 diabetes, with prevalence now estimated at about 9% (18 million) of the population greater than 20 years of age.” Obesity and Type 2 diabetes are commonly associated (Gould & Dyer, 2011). In addition to the two types of diabetes, there are signs and symptoms that are easily detected and some that develop after diagnosis.