Diabetes - Truth or Fiction?

We separate diabetes myths from facts

If you’re newly diagnosed with diabetes, you’ll be glad to know that as long as you follow a careful treatment plan, you can live a long, productive and happy life. “Early education helps prevent complications,” says diabetes educator Joyce Najarian, R.N., director of the Helwig Health and Diabetes Center. You can start your education today by learning about these four diabetes myths.

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 ten years. But if you lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight, 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: 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. 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, people with diabetes also need to monitor their blood pressure, blood cholesterol and weight," says endocrinologist Matthew Corcoran, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.

Myth: People with diabetes can’t eat sugar.
Fact: People with diabetes should follow a moderate diet that includes plenty of:

Fruits
Vegetables
Whole grains
Healthful fats found in fish, nuts and olive oil.

But that doesn’t rule out an occasional treat. “Moderation is key,” says Corcoran. “It’s what you do most of the time, not all of the time, that matters.”

This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM

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