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Diabetes in Men

Why should I care about diabetes?

The rates of diabetes have dramatically increased in all states.

Twenty-six million children and adults in the United States -- 8% of the population -- have diabetes.

Did You Know?


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The risk for type 2 diabetes typically increases with age. In the absence of risks, testing should begin after age 45. One of the biggest jumps in type 2 diabetes was among men.

The risk factors for type 2 diabetes include:

  • being overweight or obese
  • a sedentary lifestyle
  • a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates and low in fiber and whole grains

African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Native Alaskans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders also have an increased risk.


What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body can't control blood glucose levels properly. Normally, the digestive tract breaks down food into glucose, a form of sugar. After being absorbed, it is released into the blood. The hormone insulin, produced by the pancreas, stimulates cells to absorb glucose from the bloodstream and use it for energy.

Type 1 diabetes, which typically shows up in childhood, is caused when the immune system mistakenly attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes occurs when tissues in the body gradually become resistant to the effect of insulin. The pancreas responds by churning out more of the hormone. But eventually it can't keep up, and blood sugar levels begin to climb.

That's bad for many reasons. High glucose levels damage nerve and blood vessels, leading to heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, and gum infections. Advanced type 2 diabetes can result in blindness and the need to amputate limbs that no longer get adequate circulation.

One of the main causes of the type 2 diabetes epidemic, researchers believe, is the rise in obesity . Over time, excess weight makes cells in the muscles, liver, and fat tissue less responsive to insulin -- a condition called insulin resistance.

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