Diabetes: Prevention and Treatment Essay

Diabetes is a disease where the body is unable to produce or use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed for proper storage and use of carbohydrates. Without it, blood sugar levels can become too high or too low, resulting in a diabetic emergency. It affects about 7.8% of the population. The incidence of diabetes is known to increase with age. It’s the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the US, and is the primary cause of blindness and foot and leg amputation. It is known to cause neuropathy in up to 70% of diabetic patients. Individuals with diabetes are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.

The goal is to increase the percentage of understanding of diabetes and how to live empowered with diabetes. I will conduct outreach programs in various methods to reach the people to participate in the health program. My objective is done by specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound (SMART) goals. By May 31, 2018, an increase of 40% establishes one-on-one follow up education session with each individual and families through home visits or phone calls to monitor them to improve their lifestyles. By February 30, 2018, an increase of 80% distribution of brochures and with door to door interactions with the individuals in the community. By September 2018, increase 90% of people to engage in community health fair, classes, and exercise activities on diabetes and cardiovascular classes. This will introduce the individuals in social support that allow interactions with teaching and

According to the American Diabetes Association, more Americans die each year from diabetes than from AIDS and breast cancer combined. As a result, researchers have extensively studied the causes, treatments, and interventions for diabetes. Despite efforts to ameliorate its effects, diabetes remains a prevalent danger in society. In 2014, 7% of U.S. adults were living with diagnosed diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). In Louisiana that number was even higher - 10.4% of adults have been diagnosed with diabetes. Breaking it down by age group, however, in Louisiana 3% of people aged 18 and 44 have been diagnosed, and 15.2% of people 45-64. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015a). Several studies have predicted future rates of diabetes both in the United States and worldwide - nearly all of these studies reached a similar conclusion: rates of diabetes will continue to rise (Boyle et al., 2001).

The rate of diabetes in the United States is one of the highest compared to other developed countries. An estimate of 9.3% of the population have diabetes, of those with diabetes 27.8% have yet to be diagnosed (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014). This means that approximately 8.1 million people are currently living with diabetes, but are unaware of it. As of 2012, 12.3% of people with diabetes were 20 years old or older, the largest population diagnosed with diabetes were adults 65 years old or older. 25.9% of this population lives with diabetes (CDC, 2014). On a national level, the CDC have launched initiatives that focus on prevention and disease management. The National Diabetes Prevention Program is an example of one such initiative. This program focuses on lifestyle changes,

Type II diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people in the United States and is also a disease that is continually growing in numbers. The cost of the individual and national health care systems is also a number that is growing. Policy for prevention of diabetes and pre-diabetes is something that while has changed some in the past, has been basically the same for the past 20-25 yeas. This disease affects many throughout the country, but effects those in the middle and lower classes due to the cost of eating healthier being greater than the alternative and also due to the fact that these groups are less likely to go for routine health care.

Diabetes (DM) is one the many initiatives that Healthy People 2020 have been focusing on to reduce this disease morbidity and mortality rates throughout the communities. In the United States alone, the number of individuals diagnosed with diabetes has increased from 1.5 million in 1958 to 25.8 million in 2011. The Center for Disease and prevention (CDC) also estimates in the year 2011, 79 million people age 20 and over were noted to have pre-diabetes, in which the blood sugar was higher than normal levels, however, have not reached the level for a diagnosis of DM. Eleven percent of those individuals with pre-diabetic readings of raised blood glucose will progress in full blown diabetes a matter of three years. Healthy People 2020 have used evidence –based practices to aid in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Evidence have shown by simply modifying one’s lifestyle such regular exercising and healthy eating have been recognized to effectively prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk persons. Case in point, the Diabetes Prevention Program research trial revealed that the utilization of lifestyle interferences had its utmost impact in elderly adults and was also effective in all racial groups.

The effectiveness of diabetes program that is offered in Sacramento County can be measured and converted into indicators and variables. Different hospitals in Sacramento County measure and convert the concept into indicators differently. Indicators may include the number of patients, changes in mortality, and changes in the nutritional status of the patients. The types of variables that researchers could look at maybe 1) the amount of patients that were serviced in a month to a year at the same facility, 2) the number of people that have diabetes and other illness per 1000 population, and 3) the changes in the weight of diabetic patients.

Long-term effects of diabetes can cause many serious complications: heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputations, and kidney disease and nerve damage. These complications are usually progressive and develop over time due to poor control of blood glucose levels. High blood glucose levels cause a narrowing of all the vessels, blockage, and high blood pressure.

One of the goals is to increase the prevention behaviors in persons at high risk for diabetes with pre-diabetes. Three of the goals the healthy people initiative will be measuring are: increasing the patient’s physical activity levels, decreasing the fat and calories in the patient’s diet, and trying to increase the proportion of patient’s trying to lose weight. ("Healthy people 2020," “n.d.”, Diabetes D-16) As the nurse considers interventions and goals, there are many factors to consider. The patient’s education level, access to care, family support, spiritual support, and willingness to accept the diagnosis will greatly affect the outcome. Increasing the prevention behaviors for those at risk for diabetes affects society as a whole and individually when looking at the client system. Nurses can help the patient to identify stressors that may impact their ability to meet the goals. The primary prevention as intervention increases the highest point of health for the patient at this time. The patient can collaborate with nursing and dieticians to help reduce the fat and calories in their diet. This diet plan would also allow the patient to lose weight. The patient would also need to have a list of physical activities that they are willing to participate in. At first the patient may need to be monitored more frequently to monitor adherence to the plan and measure the plan’s effectiveness. There will be close

As there is currently no cure for diabetes, prevention is vital; this is achieved through raising awareness and advocating against the disease. Public health practitioner’s duty is to set up diabetes prevention and lifestyle programs across schools, workplaces, general public and communities. The programs should include:

Diabetes is associated with wide range of complications such as chronic renal failure, blindness, amputations, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and neuropathy (Alotabi, A., et al., 2016). There is no known cure for diabetes, but the disease can be controlled through health management that includes multiple perspectives of care such as medications, blood glucose monitoring, diet, nutrition, screening for long-term complications and regular physical activity (Alotabi, A., et al., 2016). Managing diabetes may be complicated and requires the knowledge and skills of both healthcare providers and the clients. Studies have shown that to prevent or delay diabetic complications due to diabetes, counseling and other lifestyle interventions are the effective therapy. Even with many policies set up for diabetes, 8.1 million Americans are undiagnosed with diabetes mellitus, and approximately 86 million Americans ages 20 and older have blood glucose levels that considerably increase their risk of developing Diabetes Mellitus in the next several years (CDC, 2015). For diabetes care to be successful there needs to be a good understanding of the disease and management by both patients and healthcare providers,

Observational epidemiology is a study of disease where “the investigator ascertains exposure and outcome without assignment to an intervention” Observational studies have made important contributions to the knowledge and understanding of health-related conditions. These studies usually involve a large group of individuals as in a community. The purpose of this type of study is to determine the

There is no cure from diabetes, but it does not mean that it cannot be managed and controlled. If left untreated, diabetes causes serious implications, such as hypertension, kidney damage, blindness, stroke and dangerous problems that affect extremities and often lead to amputation. Diabetes is quite common among seniors over the age of 65. In order to prevent the disease progression, as well as to boost quality of life, it is important to monitor one’s condition and work on improving it.

Diabetes, often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar)1 . In 2011 The American Diabetes Association repoted a 25.8 million people in America living with diabetes 2. Diabetes is a illness that can be caused by the body not being able to produce enough insulin and or cells in the body not responding adequately to the insulin provided. Insulin which is produced by the pancrease, regulates the amount of glucose (which provieds energy to all cells) in the blood.

     Present treatments for type two diabetes include eating a balanced diet to prevent high sugar levels after meals, getting regular physical exercise because it helps the body respond to insulin better, monitoring blood sugar at home to know when the level is above or below your personal prescribed range, taking oral medication if diet and exercise not able to keep blood sugar levels within a safe range, taking insulin (temporarily or for the rest of your life; temporarily because your blood sugar level may be alarmingly high and the insulin will break it down; forever because your pancreas may produce little or no insulin), and having regular medical checkups to monitor and adjust treatment.