Managing Diabetes Doesn’t Have To Be Difficult

kuhf: 11/13/12

Nearly 26 million Americans, or 8.3 percent of the population, live with diabetes, including myself.

The elderly and Latino population are the fastest growing segments in Texas. Classic symptoms include blurred vision, thirstiness and frequent urination. Left untreated, it can lead to more serious complications, like stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, blindness or amputation.

Dr. Griffin Rodgers directs the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

“Almost 7 million have diabetes and don’t know that they have the disease. But perhaps more troubling is 79 million adults have pre-diabetes. And pre-diabetes is a condition that increases your risk of developing Type-2 diabetes, but independently it increases your risk of having heart disease and stroke.”

Coryell County in Central Texas, has the highest number of diabetics in the state, almost 11 percent. Dr. Rodgers says a number of risk factors have been linked to diabetes: family history, being over weight or obese, ethnicity; African-  American, American Indian or Asian, increases the chances of developing diabetes. Read more