{"id":16688,"date":"2016-05-07T16:59:48","date_gmt":"2016-05-07T23:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.accessrx.com\/blog\/?p=16688"},"modified":"2016-05-07T16:59:48","modified_gmt":"2016-05-07T23:59:48","slug":"diabetes-prevention-proposed-for-medicare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/weight-loss\/diabetes-prevention-proposed-for-medicare\/","title":{"rendered":"Diabetes Prevention Proposed for Medicare"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Diabetes
Obesity is the leading cause of Type 2 diabetes in the United States.<\/figcaption><\/figure> The Obama Administration has proposed an expansion of Medicare coverage<\/a> that would cover a variety of programs geared toward preventing diabetes. With millions of people designated as pre-diabetic and at high-risk for developing not only diabetes, but also a host of other illnesses and conditions affecting the heart, nerves, kidneys, brain, and eyes. By expanding coverage of so-called “lifestyle change programs”, the Obama Administration believes that healthcare cost will ultimate be greatly reduced as people address the risk factors for this debilitating disease, delaying the onset of diabetes and potentially preventing it altogether.<\/p>\n

What is Diabetes? <\/b><\/p>\n

There are three types of diabetes. Type 1, commonly referred to as “juvenile diabetes”, is an autoimmune disease that may be passed on genetically, or can be triggered by malnutrition or a viral infection of the pancreas. This form of diabetes may also occur when certain hormones secreted by the thyroid or adrenal glands act as an antagonist to insulin.<\/p>\n

Adult-onset diabetes<\/a>, also known as non insulin-dependent diabetes or “type 2”, is the second type of diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is still able to produce insulin successful, but the body is not utilizing it properly. This is the most common form of diabetes, and the majority of those suffering from it are middle-aged or older, and overweight.<\/p>\n

The third type of diabetes is gestational diabetes. It occurs during pregnancy, and is characterized by high blood sugar levels in a pregnant woman with no previous history of the disease.<\/p>\n

Causes of Type 2 Diabetes<\/b><\/p>\n

When determining if you are at risk for developing diabetes<\/a>, or pre-diabetic, doctors will look at a variety of factors. Heredity is believed to have a role in the development of diabetes, with the risk factor increasing dramatically if one or both parents have the disease. Your age can also increase your risk of developing diabetes. Though Type 2 diabetes can occur at any age, it is most commonly seen in adults over the age of 50.<\/p>\n

Lifestyle choices can lead to you developing diabetes. Improper nutrition, including too little protein and fiber and a high intake of products containing refined sugar, can trigger diabetes. Being overweight is a major symptom linked to the development of diabetes. Obesity increases the body’s resistance to insulin, preventing the proper processing of glucose in the body. Fat distribution appears to be a more important factor than your weight measurement, and people with a BMI of 25 or more and body fat measurement of 30% or more seen as key indicators of risk. Other lifestyle choices that can put you at greater risk of diabetes include a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and stress resulting from a variety of sources.<\/p>\n

Diabetes is also closely linked with cardiovascular conditions, and high cholesterol and high blood pressure have been found to be common ailments in those that develop diabetes.<\/p>\n

The Cost of Diabetes <\/b><\/p>\n

Diabetes is becoming a more and more expensive disease to treat, both for the individual and for the country at large. On average, individuals diagnosed with diabetes spend well over $10,000 on treatment. While thousands of dollars are spent by diabetic individuals every year in out-of-pocket and insurance expenditures, the amount of cost that is born by the country is staggering. According to an economic analysis of the cost of diabetes<\/a> treatment in the US, more than $300 billion is spent every year in covering the cost of the disease and the loss of productivity due to the disease.<\/p>\n

The cost of diabetes<\/a> increases as you age, as more of the disease’s complications begin to develop. In fact, for people who do not receive regular wellness care from a doctor, the development of these complications can be the first symptom of a disease that may have been present for 10-20 years already. Diabetes complications ae long-term in nature, and the worst ones involve damage to the blood vessels. Nearly three-quarters of people with diabetes die from coronary artery disease, and other vascular diseases such as peripheral vascular disease and stroke are also common among diabetics.<\/p>\n

Damage to small blood vessels is another primary complication that affects diabetics and can ultimately lead to vision loss, blindness, kidney disease, erectile dysfunction, foot ulcers, and muscle wasting and weakness. The most common complication of diabetes is diabetic neuropathy, nerve damage that results in pain, numbness, tingling and decreased sensitivity to pain.<\/p>\n

\"Diabetes
Low fat, high fiber are the best choices for preventing diabetes, along with lean protein and healthy liquids like water.<\/figcaption><\/figure> An Ounce of Prevention <\/b><\/p>\n

Preventing diabetes is entirely possible and, even if you are in the early stages of the disease, you can reverse a lot of the damage, even managing your condition without medications. Though you can’t change your family medical history or age, you can make changes to your overall lifestyle that will have a positive effect on your body’s ability to heal and care for itself.<\/p>\n

The proposed Medicare expansion would provide for a variety of preventative measures that have been proven to reduce the risk of diabetes<\/a>. The first line of defense in fighting off the advance of diabetes is to lose excess weight. Obesity is the leading contributor to diabetes development. Losing even a few pounds can have a profound effect on your blood glucose levels, as well as relieving the rest of the body from the strain of trying to function with excessive weight pressing on organs and blood vessels. Even losing 10% of your current body weight can reduce your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by as much as half.<\/p>\n

The best way to lose weight is to change your diet and increase the amount of exercise you get. A low sugar, low fat, high fiber diet is the recommend path for pre-diabetics and diabetics. In addition, adding regular exercise to your daily schedule is vitally important. Even a daily walk of 30 minutes or more per day is enough to not only lower your blood glucose levels, but also reduce your blood pressure.<\/p>\n

Other lifestyle changes that can help with preventing diabetes include smoking cessation and reducing, but not eliminating, your alcohol consumption.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/b><\/p>\n

As the US population ages, and as more people of a younger age begin to fall victim to poor eating habits and a lack of exercise, the rate of diabetes cases is expected to increase drastically. The proposed expansion of Medicare to provide for preventative measures that decrease the risk of diabetes would ultimately decrease the amount of money spent on treating the disease itself. By addressing dietary issues such as too much-refined sugar and a lack of fiber, doctors can help individuals on the cusp of diabetes take control of their health, and with the addition of moderate daily exercise, issues with insulin production and sensitivity can begin to resolve very quickly. If the new provisions are approved, millions of people will be able to take advantage of the assistance of doctors, dietary programs and other healthcare services to help them to effectively prevent diabetes.<\/p>\n

You can read more about diabetes prevention on the eDrugstore blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/i>
\nGabriella Messina<\/a> is an author who has written online content for a variety of healthcare-related topics, including healthcare and vocational education, corporate wellness programs, fitness and nutrition.<\/i>\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Obama Administration has proposed an expansion of Medicare coverage that would cover a variety of programs geared toward preventing diabetes. With millions of people designated as pre-diabetic and at high-risk for developing not only diabetes, but also a host of other illnesses and conditions affecting the heart, nerves, kidneys, brain, and eyes. By expanding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16689,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_autoblog_aioseo_focus_keyphrase":"","_autoblog_aioseo_title":"","_autoblog_aioseo_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[96],"class_list":["post-16688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weight-loss","tag-diabetes"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t