Consumer health: alcohol, tobacco and diabetes

November is National Diabetes Month, which makes this a great time to learn more about preventing and treating diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affect the way your body uses blood sugar. The underlying cause of diabetes varies by type. But no matter what type of diabetes you have, it can cause too much sugar in your blood. Too much sugar in the blood can lead to serious health problems.

The two types of chronic diabetes conditions are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, although it often appears during childhood or adolescence. Type 2 diabetes, which is more common, can also develop at any age, although it is more common in people over 40. Prediabetes means that you have a higher than normal blood sugar level, but it is not high enough yet to be considered type 2 diabetes.

Healthy lifestyle choices can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. If you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes, healthy lifestyle choices can lower your risk for complications. If you have prediabetes, lifestyle changes can slow or stop the progression to diabetes. Lifestyle risk factors for diabetes include being overweight and sedentary.

Alcohol and tobacco use can also increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. And the more you drink or smoke, the greater your risk.

© 2020 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC