According to the Archives of Internal Medicine in San Antonio, TX, diabetes poses a significant public health challenge for the United States. Some 800,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, or 2,200 per day. They also state that the number of people with diabetes has increased steadily over the past decade, with 10.5 million diagnosed cases.
What is more shocking is that there are an estimated 5.5 million undiagnosed diabetes cases in the United States. There is a common misconception that diabetes is a disease with significant symptoms, that cannot go unnoticed. This cannot be farther from the truth. A patient can develop Type 2 diabetes over the course of several years. Diagnosing diabetes and those for risk of the disease is critical to stopping the progression of the disease and possibly eliminating it altogether.
Diabetes screening is best performed by a physician who has a broad overview of not only the disease, but the human body as well. Diabetes screening consists of a blood test and a questionnaire that you and your physician will complete. If you are at risk for diabetes, the good news is that you can reduce or eliminate your risk through diet modification, increased exercise, and regular follow-up visits.
If you are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, your physician will consult with you regarding the need for insulin and any additional tests which may be required. Paramount to any diabetes health strategy is nutritional counseling. Your physician is qualified to provide you with a complete education in nutrition, including the impact of diabetes and your diet.
The key to managing your diabetes is early diagnoses and intervention. Most insurance plans cover diabetes screening and the subsequent nutritional counseling that is offered to diabetic and non diabetic patients alike.