HY 07/05: The Facts on Blood Sugar | Lehigh Valley Hospital

If you’re newly diagnosed with diabetes, take comfort in this fact: as long as you follow a careful treatment plan, you can live a long, productive and happy life. “Unfortunately, many people don’t receive the education they need to self-manage their diabetes until complications develop years later. Early education helps prevent complications,” says diabetes educator Joyce Najarian, R.N., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. Start your education today with this list of myths and facts.

Myth : My doctor says I have “pre-diabetes,” so full-blown diabetes is inevitable.
Fact: If you make no changes in your life, you are at high risk to develop type 2 diabetes in the next two to 10 years. However, if you lose 5-10 percent of your weight (10-20 pounds for a 200-pound person), walk for 30 minutes most days and switch to a low-fat, high-fiber diet, you may reduce your risk for developing diabetes by up to 58 percent.

Myth : If my doctor prescribes insulin, I’ve failed at managing my diabetes.
Fact: Insulin therapy helps normalize blood sugar, preventing complications such as eye and kidney disease. “Fifty percent of people with type 2 diabetes will eventually need insulin,” says endocrinologist Matthew Corcoran, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Your pancreas may be failing, but you are not a failure.”

Myth : Type 1 diabetes is worse than type 2.
Fact: “Both types of diabetes are equally serious and can lead to serious complications if blood sugar levels are poorly controlled,” Najarian says. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Formerly known as juvenile diabetes, it actually can occur at any time of life—in fact, one-third of patients are diagnosed after age 25. Immune cells attack the pancreas and eventually destroy its ability to produce the hormone insulin. People with type 1 diabetes need insulin therapy to survive. In type 2 diabetes, body cells don’t respond effectively to insulin, causing the pancreas to overproduce it. In time, the pancreas wears out, and people with type 2 diabetes may need to add insulin therapy to their treatment.

Myth : Diabetes only affects blood sugar.
Fact: Diabetes affects the entire body, raising the risk for heart disease, stroke and other conditions such as eye and kidney disease. Besides checking blood sugar levels, Corcoran says, people with diabetes also need to monitor their blood pressure, blood cholesterol and weight.

Myth : People with diabetes can’t eat sugar.
Fact: People with diabetes should follow a moderate diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthful fats found in fish, nuts and olive oil. But that doesn’t rule out an occasional treat. “I don’t tell people with diabetes they can never have chocolate cake,” Corcoran says. “Moderation is key. It’s what you do most of the time, not all of the time, that matters.”

Myth : Only adults get type 2 diabetes.
Fact: In the past, type 2 diabetes developed after age 40, earning it the nickname “adult onset diabetes.” Today, due to increasing childhood obesity, youngsters are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as young as age 4.

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