Start by taking the following actions. One of the best ways to help improve your life expectancy while living with type 2 diabetes is to change your diet. Sodium, fat, and sugar can be detrimental to stable blood sugar levels. Try to eliminate soda and juice, energy drinks with lots of sugar, unnecessary sports drinks, red meat, bacon, and other unhealthy fats. While working on eliminating unhealthy foods , increase your intake of whole, nutritious fruits and vegetables.
Instead, keep it simple. Consider diabetic meal planning for more efficient cooking and always make sure that your plates are filled with a healthy balance of vegetables, fats, starches, proteins, and fruits. Try to eat more lean proteins than fatty proteins and include fish in your diet at least four times per week. Exercising regularly is another way to boost your longevity.
For the best results , try to get at least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every week. This can be accomplished by cycling, brisk walking, running, or even vigorous home or lawn care. For the best results, combine aerobic activity with strength training at least two days a week. If you have any questions or concerns about weight loss, talk to your doctor today. People living with diabetes have increased risks of developing certain infections such as influenza, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections.
This is due to reduced healing rates and increased risks of ulcerated wounds. This is due to the fact that high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels, and also because people with type 2 diabetes often have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and other factors that increase the risk of heart disease.
When you have type 2 diabetes, there are many factors that can increase your risk of complications, and these complications can impact your life expectancy. They include:. High blood sugar levels: Uncontrolled high blood sugar levels affect many organs and contribute to the development of complications.
High blood pressure increases the risk of kidney disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and other complications. Lipid disorders: According to the ADA, 65 percent of those with diabetes have high low-density lipoprotein LDL , or bad, cholesterol levels, which can increase the risk of vessel disease. High triglyceride levels and low high-density lipoprotein HDL , or good, cholesterol levels are also common in diabetes, which increases risk of complications as well.
Smoking: Smoking can increase the risk of many complications associated with diabetes, as well as increasing the risk of overall mortality from other diseases, such as cancer. Because of the above risk factors, diabetes increases the risk of developing certain complications, which also affect your life expectancy.
Diabetes is the cause of 44 percent of all new cases of kidney failure in the United States, according to the ADA. Kidney disease appears to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Both of these diseases can decrease life expectancy. Chronically high blood sugar levels can damage nerves. If this damage occurs in the autonomic nerves that control the involuntary functions of your body, such as heart rate and blood pressure, you can be at risk for complications that can reduce life expectancy.
Damage to the peripheral nerves can lead to problem with feeling in the feet. This is turn can lead to issues with healing, increasing the risk of infections and amputations. Infections are harder to clear with high blood sugars, and infections that spread can potentially be fatal. Severe cases of gum disease can lead to heart problems, which in turn affect life expectancy. For some people, these measures can have incredible benefits: A report published in September in the British Medical Journal suggested maintaining a healthy weight and lowering blood glucose levels may even help reverse type 2 diabetes.
As always, the most important step a person living with diabetes can take to improve the quality of their life — and potentially extend it — is to speak up for themselves to get the quality of social and medical support they need. A review published in November in the journal Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity suggested that support from friends and family can help you adhere to your diabetes management plan.
Due to a constant stream of new research and medical advances, people with diabetes have good reason to be optimistic about the future. For example, new research is pointing to inflammation as a cause of type 2 diabetes , and multiple clinical studies are underway to explore medication to reduce the incidence of the condition. Additionally, breakthroughs are being made in drugs, such as ruboxistaurin RBX , which could reduce the likelihood of complications associated with diabetes, such as loss of eyesight.
By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Health Topics.
0コメント