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Diabetes, the basics
If you take prednisone, you are at risk
This information provided by the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC)
Steroid medications, such as prednisone, can cause a rise in blood sugar by blocking the effect of insulin, which regulates blood sugar. Over time, this may lead to type 2 diabetes. It is therefore wise for all patients to know about diabetes.
What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. People with diabetes have problems converting food to energy. After a meal, food is broken down into a sugar called glucose, which is carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. Cells use insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas, to help them convert blood glucose into energy.
People develop diabetes because the pancreas does not make enough insulin or because the cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin properly, or both. As a result, the amount of glucose in the blood increases while the cells are starved of energy. Over the years, high blood glucose, also called hyperglycemia, damages nerves and blood vessels, which can lead to complications such as heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve problems, gum infections and amputation.
Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes, is the most common form. People can develop it at any age, even during childhood. This form of diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which muscle, liver, and fat cells do not use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin. In time, however, it loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals.
What is pre-diabetes? In pre-diabetes, blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be characterized as diabetes. However, many people with pre-diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. Pre-diabetes also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. With modest weight loss and moderate physical activity, people with pre-diabetes can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is more frequent in African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, or Hispanic American/Latinos.
What factors increase my risk for type 2 diabetes? The risk of developing diabetes increases if:
- You are over 45 years old
- Have high blood pressure
- Are fairly inactive
- Are overweight
- Have a parent or sibling with diabetes
- Had gestational diabetes
- Have abnormal cholesterol levels
- Gave birth to at least one baby weighing more than 9 pounds
What steps can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes? A major research study, the Diabetes Prevention Program, confirmed that people who followed a low-fat, low-calorie diet, lost a modest amount of weight, and engaged in regular physical activity (walking briskly for 30 minutes, five times a week, for example) sharply reduced their chances of developing diabetes. These strategies worked well for both men and women, and were especially effective for participants aged 60 and older.
How is diabetes managed? If you are diagnosed with diabetes, you can manage it with meal planning, physical activity, and, if needed, medications. For additional information about taking care of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, see the NIDDK booklet Your Guide to Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.
Those wishing further information may contact the National Diabetes Education Program, 1 Diabetes Way Bethesda, MD 20892-3600, 1-800-438-5383, www.ndep.nih.gov.
This information provided by the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
