Posted on 06/30/2009 1:01:41 PM PDT by neverdem
Last week, a team of eight cyclists completed the coast-to-coast bike marathon called the Race Across America in record time. It was quite an achievement under any circumstances, but what made it extraordinary was something all eight of them had in common: Type 1 diabetes.
Type 1, sometimes called juvenile diabetes, poses special challenges for athletes. A person with Type 1 can’t produce insulin and must take regular injections to control blood sugar. But exercise can also lead to precipitous, even deadly, drops in blood sugar. (Type 2 diabetes, by far the more common form of the disease, typically develops later in life, often linked to poor eating habits and weight gain; exercise is often prescribed as a way to keep blood sugar low.)
The accomplishments of the cyclists, who have...
--snip--
The achievements of the Type 1 athletes come at a time of growing concern about changing patterns of the disease. While Type 2 diabetes is associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, scientists do not yet know what causes Type 1, although autoimmune, genetic and environmental factors appear to play a role.
With obesity and poor health habits rising among adults and children alike, it is hardly surprising that Type 2 diabetes has grown so prevalent. But now European health officials are reporting an inexplicable rise in Type 1 as well. Last month, the medical journal Lancet reported that the incidence was rising about 4 percent a year among European children, particularly those under 5. At that rate, the number of Type 1 cases will increase 70 percent in the next decade. And the disease also appears to be gaining in the United States.
The rapid rise suggests environmental influences, and researchers are looking at possible factors that include Caesarean deliveries, viral infection and early-life nutrition, including Vitamin D deficiency...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Not making light of the achievments of these cyclists. But I was recently diagnosed with Type 2. I am 44 years old, eat a healthy diet, not overweight, exercise regularly. What articles leave out is that type 2 is also genetic and has nothing to do with lifestyle or eating habits.
ping
False, at least in most cases. I don’t doubt that your condition isn’t related to exercise or weight, but that puts you in the minority these days.
I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, and host of other ailments. I started cycling 4-5 days a week, lost 55 pounds, and I haven’t had an abnormal AC1 in over a year now. My condition was entirely the result of being overweight and leading a sedentary lifestyle. Now that I’m at a better weight, and lead an active lifestyle, it’s not even a worry.
I am slightly overweight, 48, and I run 5 miles a day. My sugar continues to be higher than normal. Pisses me off. I’d love to give it all up and eat pizza, drink beer, and really “deserve” type II.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying in all cases. Like I said I was recently (3mos). Who knows how long I have had it. I have sought three opinions on its cause and nothing has been found in my diet or lifestyle that indicates I should be insulin resistent other than genetics. No one in my immediate family has it as of now, but the marker is always there if it is in the family. Some get turned on, others don’t.
One of the things learned over the years is that many Type II diabetics gradually turn into Type I diabetics as their beta cells become fewer in number and less effective. That process, BTW, can occur with or without exercise or careful dining habits.
'Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults' (LADA) is the term coined to describe adults who have a slowly progressive form of autoimmune or type 1 diabetes that can be treated initially without insulin injections. The diagnosis of LADA is currently based on three clinical criteria: (1) adult age at onset of diabetes; (2) the presence of circulating islet autoantibodies, which distinguishes LADA from type 2 diabetes; and (3) insulin independence at diagnosis, which distinguishes LADA from classic type 1 diabetes. The prevalence of LADA in adults presenting with non-insulin-requiring diabetes is approximately 10%. Recognition of LADA expands the concept and prevalence of autoimmune diabetes, but LADA remains poorly understood at both a clinical and research level. In this perspective, we review the nomenclature, diagnostic criteria, genetics, pathology and therapy of LADA, to arrive at recommendations that might advance knowledge and management of this form of diabetes.
Some call LADA type 1.5 diabetes. Besides circulating islet cell autoantibodies, they can have antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase, GAD.
FReepmail me if you want on or off the diabetes ping list.
Good to know progress is being made on something.
Perhaps it’s a bit simplistic, but couldn’t the increase in cases come about because people with Type I now survive to pass the proclivity for it on?
I don’t doubt that there can be triggers which turn it on and cause people to develop it, but the susceptibility could be genetic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.