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Diabetes : The Common Form Of Diabetes

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Introduction
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes which affects 90% to 95% of the population. In the United States, approximately 1.7 million new cases of diabetes were identified in 2012 and the disease affects 29 million Americans or 9.3 percent of the population. In 2012 the total financial burden of diabetes was estimated to be $245 billion which included $176 billion in direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity. Those who have type 2 diabetes are unable to control insulin levels resulting in a condition called insulin resistance. In the first stages of the disease your body attempts to compensate for excess blood sugar by making more insulin. As the disease progresses, your body is unable to produce insulin in sufficient quantities to offset blood sugar, which results in destruction to your kidneys and damage to other organs. Additionally, excess blood sugar impairs circulation in small blood vessels which are found in the eyes, kidneys, and heart and may lead to hardening of the arteries. Nerve damage may also occur with diabetes resulting in chronic pain (Harris 1998).
Risk Factors
A major factor of diabetes is obesity. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, minority ethnic groups in the United States that have high rates of obesity are on the rise, especially Hispanic Americans. Additionally, obesity rates are also rising among children and adolescents, especially those who are Hispanic. In the early

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