1. Information relating to causes, complications,
management and prevention

2.  More commonly know as diabetes, it is a metabolic
disease with no cure. Everything we eat is converted
to glucose (sugar) and is used by our cells for energy.
The pancreas produces insulin, the hormone
responsible for controlling glucose. If the pancreas is
“malfunctioning”, the insulin level will be insufficient
and the glucose will not move to the body’s cells, but
will build up in the blood instead. Diabetes is a result
of these high glucose levels in the blood.

3. There are 3 main types of diabetes:
• Type I
• Type II
• Gestational

4. • Pancreas produces no insulin due to destruction of the
pancreatic beta cells
• Insulin dependent
• Previously known as “juvenile diabetes”
• Major risk factor is genetics
• Most common in the white population

5. • The pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or the cells
are insulin resistant
• Controlled through diet, exercise and sometimes oral
medication
• Genetics and obesity are major risk factors
• Type II diabetes is more common in African Americans,
Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans, as well
as the older population.

6. • Develops during pregnancy due to changes in the
hormones
• Pre-pregnancy weight may be a factor
• Moderate risk of developing type II later in life
• Patient’s age during pregnancy may determine the
child’s risk factor

7. • Unexplained weight loss or gain
• Slow healing wounds
• Unusual fatigue and/or irritability
• Sleeplessness
• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Recurring infections (skin, bladder, vaginal)
• Blurry vision
• By the time symptoms are evident, damage may have already
been done to the kidneys, cardiovascular system or eyes.

8.  Diabetes can only be diagnosed by a medical doctor.
A fasting blood glucose test will be performed.
Normal results are levels less the 100 mg/dl. If the
reading is above 126, the physician may order a
second test in a few days. If a second reading is
above 126, the patient is determined to have
diabetes. If one test is normal, and the other is high,
the patient is considered to have “impaired glucose
intolerance” and is considered a high risk for
developing diabetes

9.  Nephropathy (kidney disease; may lead to kidney transplant or
dialysis)
 Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries due to plaque build-
up; increases the risk of a stroke)
 Gangrene (wounds that won’t heal; can lead to extremity
amputation)
 Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level; may cause seizures,
coma, death)
 Neuropathy (limited blood flow to the nerves, possibly causing
death of the nerves)
 Ketoacidosis (fat and protein release into the urine; may cause
dehydration, shock, coma, death)
 Vision (retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts)

10.  The blood vessels in the
retina are weakened
causing tiny bulges
called microanuerysms
to protrude from the
walls. Patients will
need to have laser
treatments performed
on their eye by an
Ophthalmologist

11.  A photo of an eye
that has had laser
treatment to stop
the blood leakage.
Each “spot” on the
eye is now scarred,
and vision is
permanently
impaired.

12.  If you are a man with type 1 diabetes, the
odds of your child getting diabetes are 1
in 17.
 If you are a woman with type 1 diabetes
and your child was born before you were
25, your child's risk is 1 in 25; if your child
was born after you turned 25, your child's
risk is 1 in 100.
 If both parents have type 1 diabetes, the
risk is between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4.
 If both parents have type 2 diabetes, the
child's risk is about 1 in 2.
 Identical twins have identical genes.
However, research has shown that when
one twin has type I diabetes, the other
twin develops the disease about 50% of
the time. When one twin has type 2
diabetes, the other twin will develop the
disease approximately 75% of the time.
 Data retrieved from the American Diabetes
Association

13.  Exercise -get active and stay active by doing things you enjoy, from gardening to
walking with friends.
 Daily monitoring of glucose levels
 Regular medical checkups. Early detection and management is vital to your body’s
systems.
 Limit the use of alcohol
 Maintain a healthy diet by increasing fiber, eating vegetables and fruits daily, and
reducing sweets
 Diabetics should have their A1C checked twice per year. A1C is a blood test that
measures a patient’s average blood glucose control for the past 2 to 3 months.This test
is becoming “the new standard” for diagnosing diabetes