Diabetes affects 6-13% of adults in the U.S.

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Wednesday, October 06, 2004 7:19 am Email this article
Obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes more than any other disease. Type 2 diabetes affects 6 to 13 percent of adults in the United States according to a new paper by Walter Kernan from Yale University. 70% of people with strokes have diabetes or prediabetes

Seventy percent of people with recent stroke have diabetes, occult diabetes (detectable during a oral glucose tolerance test), or prediabetes.

Diabetes increases the risk of stroke 2-6 fold

Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of ischemic stroke 2- to 6-fold.

2/3 of people with diabetes are overweight

Two-thirds (67 percent) of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight, and nearly half (46 percent) are obese according to another paper.

Being 20-29% overweight increases diabetes 1.6 to 2.3 fold

Being 20-29 percent overweight increases risk of dying from diabetes by 1.6 to 2.3 fold according to one study.

BMI of 40 or more increases diabetes 7.4 fold

Extremely obesity (BMI greater than 40) increases the risk of type 2 diabetes 7.4 fold according to another study.

Overweight women 7 times more likely to have diabetes

Overweight women (BMI of 25 to 29.9) were approximately 7 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than lean women with a BMI of 17 to 22 according to another study.

Severely obese women 63 times more likely to have diabetes than lean women

Women with severe obesity (BMI of 35 or more) are 63 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than lean women with a BMI of 17 to 22 according to the same study.

Obese women 11 times more likely to have diabetes

Obese women (BMI greater than 30) are 11 times more likely to have type 2 diabetes than lean women (BMI of 20) according to another study.

Congestive heart failure 2.5 times more likely amoung diabetes

Congestive heart failure is 2.5 times more common among diabetics according to yet another study.

Ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 above 4 increases the risk of diabetes

Dr. Artemis Simopoulos noted that as the ratio of omega-6-to-omega-3 increases above 4-to-1 insulin resistance increases and the prevalence of diabetes increases. She also noted that our intake of these two fatty acids used to be balanced, however, because of changes in our food supply, the typical American diet is now way out of balance where we get about 20 times as much omega-6 fatty acids as omega-3’s.

The interview with the brilliant Dr. Simopoulos is eye-opening. I urge everyone to read it.

(Omega-3 fatty acids are found abundantly in fish oil and green leafy vegetables, whereas omega-6 fatty acids are found abundantly in oils such as corn oil.)

Diabetes 2-5 times more common among Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians

Diabetes is 2-5 times more common in Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians and whites.

Weight loss can reduce the risk of diabetes by as much as 90%

A recent study reported that weight loss surgery can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 50-90 percent.

Weight loss by any means reduces the risk.

The bottom line is that excess weight dramatically increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and weight loss can dramatically reduce this risk.

REFERENCE

Kernan W, Inzucchi S. Type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance: stroke prevention and management. Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2004 11, 6(6):443-50.

AUTHOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Walter Kernan
Department of Medicine
Yale University School of Medicine
P.O. Box 208025
New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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