Type 2 diabetes control as easy as learning your ABCs

When it comes to Type 2 diabetes, knowing your ABCs could be the key to diagnosing, preventing and controlling the disease.

Of the 17 million diabetics in the United States, 90 percent suffer from Type 2 diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes, the insulin produced by the pancreas to help the body use glucose from food for energy is either not enough or does not work properly in the body.

Eduardo Salcedo, M.D., of the Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin stated that in some instances, there is an adequate amount of insulin being produced, but because the person is overweight and sedentary, that insulin is ineffective in moving the glucose from the bloodstream, and into the cells of the body

Salcedo said three conditions that can have an effect on Type 2 diabetes and those at risk for developing the disease can be listed as easily as the ABCs.

Starting with the letter "A," acanthosis nigricans, or AN, is a condition that occurs in some overweight individuals and causes dark discoloration in folds of skin on the neck, elbows, groin and abdomen. Salcedo said this condition might be an indication of insulin resistance in the body, which suggests the development of Type 2 diabetes.

If this type of discoloration is detected, it is important to see a doctor to be properly tested for diabetes. Although AN may be a sign of Type 2 diabetes, it also may be found in other conditions, according to Salcedo.

The letter "B" stands for high blood pressure, which is common in Type 2 diabetes and is often present even before the patient has been diagnosed with diabetes. For patients suffering from Type 2 diabetes, maintaining a blood pressure below 130/80 can reduce the risk of death due to long-term complications from the disease by as much as one-third.

"With all of the things that we have to offer patients with diabetes and high blood pressure, we should work with those individuals and encourage them to get their blood pressure as close to normal as possible," Salcedo said.

Elevated cholesterol represents the "C" in our diabetes alphabet. Both elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure can cause cardiovascular disease,  heart attacks and strokes. Since the insulin resistance of Type 2 diabetes can also cause cardiovascular disease, diabetics with high cholesterol and blood pressure are at extreme risk of suffering complications from cardiovascular disease.

When managing high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, a healthy meal plan and regular exercise are crucial. By paying close attention to blood pressure and cholesterol levels, Type 2 diabetics can lessen the effects of the illness, and non-diabetics can reduce their risk of eventually developing the disease.