Jessica Mathews / Public News Service / News@whmi.com


November is Diabetes Prevention Month.

Statistics show almost one out of 10 Michiganders have been diagnosed with diabetes, but medical professionals believe that number may be much higher. Doctors warn that thousands more with symptoms have not been tested.

Diabetes is a condition where the body does not produce enough of the insulin hormone.
Doctor Asha Sanjahan, a family practice physician in Novi, says the number of people with the condition is growing.

Sanjahan said "Rates are definitely rising. We know that the rates of obesity are rising, and some risk factors for diabetes include things like being overweight, having gestational diabetes, or family history of diabetes users. And we know that this has been increasing throughout the United States."

Untreated diabetes can cause kidney damage, cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, and blindness. Health services say annually, diabetes costs the United States $174 (B) billion and costs Michigan over $9 (B) billion per year.

Sajahan says despite the grim statistics, if identified early enough, diabetes can be treated with medications, including insulin and a new class of drugs known as G-L-P-1s. But she added preventing it in the first place is the best way to go, saying "Preventative measures include lifestyle changes, and basically taking into [account] diet and exercise and then also being part of preventative programs that have coaching, lifestyle coaching, education about nutrition."

Statistics show that diabetes disproportionately affects some groups of people more than others, including some racial and ethnic groups, physically inactive or overweight people, and those who have family members with the disease.

Sanjahan recommends screenings for all adults between the ages of 35 to 70 who are overweight. She said About 13% of U.S. adults have diabetes and about 34% have prediabetes. Now these are of people who actually go and get screened, so there are many people in our population that remain undiagnosed."