When a major disease like diabetes is mentioned in the news, it raises awareness of the challenges and dangers of the disease. Unfortunately, some of the media coverage leaves the impression that diabetes is most often associated with obesity. While that is true in some cases, there is a lot more to it.

I am a perfect example. I have always been slim and athletic. I had no family history of diabetes – usually a factor in being diagnosed with diabetes. Yet, in my forties, I discovered at a regularly-scheduled physical that my blood sugar was 450 and that I had type 1 diabetes. My ignorance was such that I asked what I needed to do to get over this disease. The unpleasant answer was that there is no cure, no matter how well I eat and exercise.

Diabetes isn’t as visible as other illnesses, such as cancer, unless someone with diabetes has experienced an amputation (a possible result of diabetes). People can’t see the on-going battle that some people face every minute of every day to keep their blood sugars from going too high or too low. Some of the effects of the disease aren’t visible either – kidney failure, nerve damage, heart attack or stroke.

So exactly what is diabetes?
There is a lot of confusion about the different types of diabetes. It can affect children and adults of all ages. In all types of diabetes, the body does not produce or properly use insulin, which is a hormone our bodies need to convert sugar and other food into the energy our bodies need. In type 1 diabetes, the body fails to produce any insulin. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin each day to survive.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It develops when the body cannot produce or properly use insulin. Family history and lifestyle factors such as high cholesterol, blood pressure and being overweight can lead to type 2 diabetes.

Prediabetes occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. There are at least 79 million Americans who have prediabetes. Gestational diabetes can occur during pregnancy and usually goes away after the baby is born, leaving the mother at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

There is no cure -- yet
For all types of diabetes the common facts are that there is no cure, and the numbers keep increasing. Diabetes is serious, costly and deadly.

• In the Greater Richmond area, more than 131,000 people have diabetes.
• There are 25.8 million Americans with diabetes, and over one-quarter of them are undiagnosed.
• Every 17 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes.
• Diabetes kills over 300,000 people each year- that’s more than AIDS and breast cancer combined.
• 1 out of every 3 children born after the year 2000 will be diagnosed with diabetes if trends don’t change. Think about going into a child’s classroom, counting off every third child and realizing that they will have diabetes some time in their lives.
• It’s the #1 cause of blindness in adults.
• It doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• The total annual cost of diabetes and its complications, including undiagnosed diabetes, prediabetes and gestational diabetes was estimated at $218 billion in 2007.

There are some warning signs of the onset of diabetes, including unusual thirst, blurred vision, extreme hunger, frequent urination and tingling/numbness in the hands or feet, to name just a few. The American Diabetes Association offers a free Diabetes Risk Test available on their website (www.diabetes.org/risktest), or call 1-800-DIABETES. The test will show users whether they are at low, moderate or high risk for prediabetes or diabetes. If they are at high risk, they are encouraged to talk with their health care providers.

How Can One Person Make a Difference?
One way people in the Richmond area can help is to participate in the Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes, scheduled for Saturday, October 1, 2011. Every step taken at the Walk and every dollar raised helps the American Diabetes Association (ADA) provide educational programs in our community, protect the rights of people with diabetes and fund critical research for a cure. Over 1,400 people participated in last year’s walk. The Richmond area American Diabetes Association hopes to increase that number by 10% in 2011.

The 5K Walk starts on Monument Avenue at Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital and offers a scenic walk down Monument Avenue and through the Near West End. There will be a Wellness Village, a Kid Zone and entertainment.

There are a number of ways to get involved: make a donation, volunteer, become a corporate sponsor and, of course, walk! Walkers can sign up as individuals or teams. Generous sponsors such as McKesson Medical-Surgical, Fox Richmond and Radio One are already supporting this event.

For more information about participating in this event, or to find out about a local diabetes support group, contact Elisabeth King at eking@diabetes.org or 804-225-8038 x3255, or visit the American Diabetes Association Central Virginia website at www.diabetes.org/centralvirginia. Registration for the Walk is open at www.diabetes.org/stepoutrichmond.