Diabetes *

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What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that keeps your body from making or using insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas. Insulin helps turn the food you eat into energy your body needs. (Source: GYMR, 2010) When you have diabetes, your body doesn't change food into energy as well as it should and sugar builds up in your blood. If the amount of sugar in your blood stays too high, it can slowly cause damage to your heart, eyes, kidneys and feet. (Source: GYMR, 2010) When your diabetes is not controlled for long periods of time, it can lead to heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and loss of fingers, toes, hands or feet. (Source: National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, 2008; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010)

There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is when the body does not produce enough insulin. Type 1 diabetes usually is first diagnosed during childhood. Type 2 diabetes is when the body does not respond as it should to insulin. Both adults and children can get type 2 diabetes. (Source: National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, 2008)

Who is at risk for diabetes?
You are more likely to get type 2 diabetes if you:

• are old
• are overweight or obese
• have a family history of diabetes
• have diabetes during a pregnancy
• have higher than normal levels of sugar in your blood
• do not exercise enough (Source: National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, 2008)

Risk factors for type 1 diabetes are less clear than they are for type 2 diabetes. Family history of diabetes and problems with your body's system for fighting infection can give you a greater chance of getting type 1 diabetes. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010)

How does diabetes affect our community?

• Almost 1 of 10 Michigan adults (701,000 people) has been diagnosed with diabetes. Another 364,000 Michigan adults have diabetes without knowing it. (Source: Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, 2007-2009)
• Diabetes cost Michigan $6.5 billion in health care and time away from work in 2007. (Source: The Michigan Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, 2008)
• African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans are more likely than Whites to develop diabetes. (Source: Michigan Behavioral Risk Factory Survey, 2007-2009)

What is the recommended care for diabetes?
If you have diabetes, make sure you get regular check-ups that include the following tests:

• Blood pressure check
• Blood test for A1c. This test shows the average amount of sugar in your blood for the last 2 to 3 months.
• Blood test for cholesterol level in your blood. This test shows the level of cholesterol, a waxy, fat-like substance, in your blood.
• Eye exam
• Blood and urine tests to check how your kidneys are working

To help control your diabetes and prevent damage to your organs, you need to keep your blood sugar level as close to normal as possible. Talking with your doctor to understand diabetes can help you stay healthy and lower your chances of having heart disease, stroke or other problems.

You can use these quality reports to compare how well doctors' offices give you recommended care for diabetes. The reports show how often doctors gave patients recommended tests, filled prescriptions for cholesterol medication, and how well the cholesterol and blood sugar levels of their patients were controlled. In the report, higher scores are better.