THE ALMOST PREVENTABLE DISEASE

     This post will be a little different from my usual postings,I promise a friend in Ramsey,Minnesota that I would do one on Diabetes.She asked me to post a banner on my profile page that said,"Someone I love needs a cure."Which of course I did,hence this post.I went online an did a lot of research on diabetes in preparation.As I read the articles on this disease,I hope for a flash of inspiraion.Unfortunately that did not happen,so here we are.
     It is estimated that there are 171 million cases of diabetes worldwide,with the US and Spain leading the way with 82.5 cases per 1000 population.,followed by Europe and Russia at 45-52 per 1000,with central Africa,China last with 7.5-15 per 1000.Just looking at these figures it is easy to see how lifestyle and diet can play a part in this disease.This disease has been around for a long time,at least in being recognized as a disease.It was noticed by the ancient Greeks,Chinese and Egyptians being called sweet urine.Sushruta in 6BCE(before the Common Era) identified it with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.The Greek Aretaeus commented that life with diabetes is short,disgusting and painful.
     In the United States about 26 million people have the disease,with 8.6 million cases in people over 60 years old,and more than 6 million being undiagnosed.That means about 12 million people under 60 are living with diabetes.To combat this, the American Diabetes Foundation and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention have made the education and the awareness of the symptoms and prevention a national priority.
    There are two types of diabetes: type 1 or juvenile diabetes which is usually controlled by daily injection of insulin and type 2 or adult onset which is controlled by a variety of means;.medications, diet, and excerise.Type two composes approxametly 90-95% of  diabetic cases.Some of the causes are smoking,an inactive lifestyle,obesity and overweight and old age.Of the five main causes of type 2,four are preventable.In terms of health care we can greatly reduce the majority of the cost associated with diabetes.Working on those four causes seems to be a no brainer.As for old age and juvenile diabetes there are encouraging signs that medical research will isolate the gene which causes the body to produce to much or too little insulin.
    So there it is,an almost preventable disease.Individually and collectively we can beat this scourge of mankind.Let each of us make a promise to ourselves and to those that we love that we will do all that we can  to avoid this disease.That way we not only will be helping ourselves but also our country.I hope that this post was educational ,I know the research was. Tomorrow we will get back to the normal topics.So take care and be healthy.See I kept my promise and one final thought, keep warm there in Minnesota.