Skip to main content
mayologo1
  • Patient Online Services
  • Pay Bill Online
  • Request an Appointment
    • Services
    • Providers
    • Locations

      Minnesota

      • Adams
      • Albert Lea
      • Austin
      • Belle Plaine
      • Blooming Prairie
      • Butterfield
      • Caledonia
      • Cannon Falls
      • Fairmont
      • Faribault
      • Janesville
      • Kenyon
      • Lake City
      • Le Sueur
      • Mankato
      • Montgomery
      • New Prague
      • New Richland
      • Northfield
      • Owatonna
      • Plainview
      • Red Wing
      • Sherburn
      • St. James
      • St. Peter
      • Waseca
      • Waterville
      • Wells
      • Zumbrota

      Wisconsin

      • Arcadia
      • Barron
      • Bloomer
      • Chetek
      • Chippewa Falls
      • Eau Claire
      • Ellsworth
      • Glenwood City
      • Holmen
      • La Crosse
      • Menomonie
      • Mondovi
      • Onalaska
      • Osseo
      • Prairie du Chien
      • Rice Lake
      • Sparta
      • Tomah

      Iowa

      • Decorah
      • Lake Mills

      View map
    • Classes/Events
    • Blog
    • Wellness
    • Referrals
    • COVID-19
    Posted By
    Kristi Stemsrud PAC

    Kristi Stemsrud, P.A.-C., C.D.E.

    Endocrinology (Diabetes & Metabolism)

    Recent Posts

    • african-american-couple-smiling
      Speaking of Health
      Caring for a loved one with diabetes
      December 12, 2017
    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • COVID-19
    • COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Neurosurgery
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Orthopedic Health
    • Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Join our email newsletter
    Speaking of Health
    Wednesday, August 2, 2017

    Diabetes: What you need to know — and do

    Topics in this Post
    • Diabetes
    Diabetes 2

    If current trends continue, as many as one in three Americans will have diabetes by the year 2050. That projection is staggering, but it doesn’t necessarily have to come true.

    Almost 30 million adults and children in the U.S. have diabetes, and there are several forms of the disease. Type 1 diabetes, which afflicts approximately 5% of the U.S. population, is an autoimmune disease where the body destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Many people think this type of diabetes is only diagnosed in children and adolescents, but more than half the people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are over 30.

    Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the pancreas still produces insulin but the body doesn’t use it appropriately. In the past, this type of diabetes was only diagnosed in adults. But now that many young people are overweight and have obesity issues, we’re seeing this much more in children and adolescents.

    Types of diabetes

    In each type of diabetes, the primary health issue is elevated blood glucose. These types include:

    • Type 1 diabetes. This form always needs to be controlled with insulin.
    • Type 2 diabetes. You may be able to control the disease with diet, exercise and oral medications, but eventually, these people will need insulin to treat their condition.
    • Gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is contracted during pregnancy. It affects nearly one in 10 pregnancies. Women who have gestational diabetes have a much greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes during their lifetime.

    Diabetes signs and symptoms

    Signs and symptoms of diabetes include:

    • Excessive thirst
    • Frequent urination
    • Weight loss

    Left undiagnosed and untreated, diabetes can lead to severe, long-term complications, including:

    • Eye disease and blindness
    • Nerve disease
    • Peripheral vascular disease and amputations
    • Kidney disease, and increased risk of heart disease and stroke

    Diabetes risk factors

    Risk factors for type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, include:

    • Being overweight or obese
    • Physical inactivity
    • Having a first-degree relative with diabetes
    • Having a history of gestational diabetes or delivering a baby greater than nine pounds
    • Having high blood pressure or cholesterol
    • Having prediabetes, metabolic syndrome or polycystic ovarian syndrome

    Certain ethnic populations also have higher risk, including Hispanic-Americans, Native-Americans, African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.

    Prediabetes

    Eighty-six million Americans have prediabetes — a condition where the blood glucoses are just starting to elevate and are not yet to the level where diabetes can be diagnosed. Prediabetes, however, doesn’t have to become type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program study showed that lifestyle intervention (diet, exercise and weight reduction) can cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than half.

    By balancing diet, exercise and medication, you can control diabetes and prevent long-term complications. However, this requires commitment on your part. Each person’s plan to control diabetes needs to be individualized. With the right team of health care providers, and with a strong personal support system, people with diabetes can live long and healthy lives without complications.

    Kristi Stemsrud is a physician assistant and certified diabetes educator at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.

    For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.
    Topics in this Post
    • Diabetes

    Related Posts

    Couple with head resting on shoulder and laughing How to live well with diabetes
    Healthy living with diabetes: Take small steps, get physical activity, take time or yourself and eat healthy. Tips for living well with Type 2 diabetes
    schmitz_sm Tuned-in technology: Program monitors patients from afar

    Stay Connected

    • Contact Us
    • Notice of Nondiscrimination
    • Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
    • Careers
    • Volunteer
    • Donate
    • For Patients & Visitors
    • Financial Assistance
    • Community Resources
    • Mayo Clinic Connect
    • For Medical Professionals
    • Press Room
    • Mayo Clinic
    • Home
    © 2018 - 2023 Mayo Clinic Health System