Walgreens to launch diabetes program
Walgreens to launch diabetes program
Walgreen Co. will roll out a new wellness program to treat the growing number of Americans with diabetes, a key driver of higher health care costs.
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Type 1 Diabetes Affects Every Aspect of Life
Type 1 diabetes is not one of those medical conditions for which you can just pop a pill and then forget about it.
It forces you to think about every bite you put in your mouth, every activity you do, says Andrew Drexler, director of the Gonda Diabetes Center at UCLA. "It's always there. You can never get away from it."
There are almost 24 million estimated cases of diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Almost 10% of diagnosed cases are type 1.
Experts believe the disease involves an autoimmune process that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy.
"We know there's a genetic component, but not everybody with that genetic component gets type 1," Drexler says.
Type 1 is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. The most serious short-term problem is hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which can cause wooziness and disorientation. If it strikes while someone's driving, for instance, he's at risk for an accident. If blood sugar dips severely low, coma and death can occur.
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Types of Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body is unable to properly control the amount of sugar in the blood. The body cannot control the sugar in the blood due to the lack of the hormone insulin. Diabetes has long reaching and wide ranging health affects for those that suffer from it. Diabetes significantly raises the risk of heart disease and stroke, blindness and kidney failure. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to death. It is estimated that over 18 million Americans suffer from diabetes, and of these 18 million it is estimated that nearly one third are unaware they suffer from it. Diabetes is easily diagnosed using a fasting blood glucose test. This if the most accurate test available. A fasting blood glucose result of 126 or higher indicates diabetes. Generally a fasting glucose test is part of an annual physical for adults. Type 1 diabetes, or juvenile diabetes, is diagnosed in children and young adults. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is usually found in adults over the age of 40. Type 2 diabetes is most likely due to poor diet and overweight as 80% of those with Type 2 diabetes are overweight. There is still debate about the genetics of diabetes. If both your parents have diabetes of course your risk is higher than if one parent has it. There are also environmental triggers to diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is more closely linked to genetic factors and factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise. Some of the symptoms of diabetes are unexplained weight loss, lethargy, excessive thirst or excessive hunger, frequent urination, dry skin, slow healing sores, sudden vision changes. If you find you have diabetes you will need to work very closely with your health care provider in order to keep your sugar levels within acceptable ranges. You'll start testing your blood sugar at least once a day and keeping the results in a diary. You will need to re-vamp your diet and pay close attention to portion size and meal frequency. A diabetic diet doesn't necessarily mean you cannot have foods that contain carbohydrates, it means you can't have them in an unlimited fashion. Exercise done on a regular basis has been found to help control blood sugar levels. It is suggested that those with diabetes should exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day. Living with diabetes can seem overwhelming at first, and it will take commitment on your part. However, millions of Americans live full and active lives with diabetes. 
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes
If you have two or more of these pre-diabetes symptoms you should seriously consider getting yourself checked out: If you find you are excessively thirsty, not just after extreme exercise or hot weather. You seem to constantly have a dry mouth – even if you've just had a drink. You find you are having to urinate frequently. You have unexpected weight loss or gain (even though you may be constantly hungry and eating well. Of course you may be eating the wrong things which would probably make your pre-diabetes symptom worse). You feel lethargic. You always feel as if you've got no energy; you are weak and tired all the time. Sometimes your vision is blurry – be careful, untreated eye problems caused through diabetes can lead to blindness. You should have regular eye checks, especially as you get older because your eyes can be the early warning signal for many diseases – not just diabetes. You have cuts or sores or bruises (especially on your feet) that are slow to heal. If you experience excessive itching or soreness in the genital area or yeast infections (which can be misdiagnosed as thrush) it may be a sign of too much sugar in your urine. AT RISK FACTORS OF DIABETES There are different types of diabetes; pre-diabetes, type 1, type 2, gestational and maturity onset. And, dependent upon your age, lifestyle and family history you may be more susceptible to developing diabetes. 
