Live Longer with Diabetes: Insights into Enhancing Life Expectancy

Let's get to it, what is diabetes? Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting)?health condition?that affects how your body turns food into energy.

Your body breaks down most of the food you eat into sugar (glucose) and releases it into your bloodstream.? When your blood sugar goes up, your pancreas releases insulin. Insulin acts like a key to let the blood sugar into your body’s cells for use as energy. With diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should.?

When there isn’t enough insulin our cells stop responding to insulin,?and too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream.? Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as?heart disease, vision loss, kidney disease, and nerve damage.??

The difference between type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Both of them result in blood sugar levels that are beyond what is considered healthy.

The two major?types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is due to autoimmune β-cell?destruction,?usually leading to absolute insulin deficiency. T1D affects around 5-10 % of diabetics and can develop at any age, but commonly manifest in children or young adults.

Type 2 diabetes is caused by a progressive loss of β-cell insulin secretion, frequently on the background of insulin resistance. T2D affects 90% of people with diabetes.?

In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas destroys the cells that make insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas makes insulin but your body doesn't respond, which is called insulin resistance.

These are the numbers and they are worrisome

Complications of type 2 diabetes are varied and can impact your health in negative ways.

• Nerve damage.?In limbs, it is called neuropathy. Over time, high blood glucose damages your nerves. It starts with tingling, burning, and pain. It may start with your lower extremities and spread upward to loss of all feeling. If you have diabetes and have nerve damage, check your feet every day. Nerve damage may also cause erectile dysfunction.
• Heart disease.?In diabetics, the risk of heart disease increases along with stroke and high blood pressure.
• Kidney disease.?Diabetes may lead to chronic kidney disease and end stage kidney disease that may require dialysis.

• Eye damage.?Diabetes can lead to eye diseases like glaucoma and damage to the blood vessels in the retina, which can lead to blindness.
• Infections.?Diabetes increases your risk for skin challenges, including fungus and bacterial infections in the soft and moist areas of your body. Slow healing of cuts, blisters, scrapes, and abrasions can lead to toe, foot and leg amputation, especially of the extremities.

Life expectancy

According to the ?University of Florida?Health, life?expectancy is increased by 3.8 years for someone with poorly controlled diabetes as reflected by an A1c of 9.9% improving to a normal level of 5.9%. ?According to the?Center For Disease Control?(CDC) life expectancy can be increased by 3 years, or in some cases, as much as 10 years. The ranges are from 3 years to 10 years of added life with controlled diabetes.?What can you do with more time?

Medical advancements

Recently, many treatment advancements for diabetes have become mainstream. There are ongoing studies researching new drugs to prevent and treat the complications of diabetes. New medications are available presently. There are insulin?delivery systems, and continuous glucose monitoring systems without finger sticks to know your glucose levels at a touch with your phone. Experts keep emphasizing the link between your lifestyle and your health.?

Lifestyle management

This continues to be at the forefront to manage your diabetes. Diet, weight management, stress management, mental well-being, and of course, regular medical checkups, with candid conversations with your health care team, are all included.

My mom has diabetes and there was not enough accessible information about how to improve her lifestyle.

She knew she shouldn't eat candy or bread. She didn't plan to exercise, and her doctors didn't tell her to do it either. With the limited information she had, my mother lived to 76 years old. Complications of diabetes are what caused her death. I have cousins who died in their 50s from complications of diabetes.

This is one of the reasons I do research and write this newsletter. With information, diabetics can make a choice about the kind of life they want to live.?

I have managed to keep my A1C between 6.2 and 6.6. When my weight increases, my A1C goes up.

I focus on eating a low-carbohydrate diet, moving and, being active are important parts of my plan.?I walk, take a body pump class at the YMCA, and, swim. Because I have Atrial fibrillation, I keep my cholesterol under control. ?My cholesterol numbers are in the chart below.

I take medication to manage my heart rate and rhythm, but I no longer take a statin.?One of the side effects are severe cramps. I couldn’t tolerate them. I did research and decided to take additional fiber, and Red Yeast Rice to manage my cholesterol. I am happy, my outlook is positive, and I live a full and productive life.

There are many challenges faced by individuals with diabetes with healthcare, medication, and mental health support.

Listed below are support organizations that may help you.

• Health insurance. If you need health insurance, try Healthcare.gov. It offers a comprehensive health insurance policy that covers doctors, hospitalization and mental health. If your state participates in Medicaid expansion your cost could be minimal.
• Prescription Assistance Programs. This (PAP) is meant to help you get the medicine you need but can't pay for.

• Rx Assistance Programs. Rx Assist offers a comprehensive database of assistance programs run by pharmaceutical companies to provide free medications to people who can't afford to buy their medicine.
• Vision care and hearing aid support.?Check out the Lions Club if you need eyeglasses or hearing aids. ?They are leaders in this space.
• Medicare questions?I admit that medicare choices can be complicated. There is an agency (Ship Help) that offers trusted, unbiased, one-on-one counseling and support. Give them a try if you have questions.
• Hill-Burton Facilities?are obligated to provide free or reduced-cost healthcare. Download a list of facility locations in your state.
• Mental health support group??NAMI is one of the oldest mental health support groups in the United States. Please look them up.?If you are in a mental health crisis, please call 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

Studies differ on the length of longevity that can be achieved. ?They agree that the following factors are crucial for decreasing health obstacles and extending your life. ?

• weight reduction
• exercise?
• maintaining A1C?
• having the support of a healthcare team
• proper diet
• medication ?
• mental and emotional health support

If you have diabetes or care for a diabetic, the outlook is optimistic. Diabetes is a serious condition and with effective management your quality of life can be outstanding. Go to my website?here?and read the articles on actionable tips to manage your diabetes.?

If you have not subscribed to this newsletter, do so and receive weekly tips on taking care of yourself for the long haul.

Remember to take small, achievable steps and position yourself for a longer and healthier life. You are not alone.?

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HWB