Origins of diabetes may differ in Men & Women

Research give by Concordia University

According to the World Health Organization, Nearly 400 million people in the world have diabetes. When the blood glucose levels also known as blood sugar levels in the body, are too high, it causes diabetes. 

Normal blood sugar levels: 

* 72-99 mg/ dl is considered a normal blood sugar level before eating.

* 80-130 mg/ dl is considered after eating. 

Any levels above the given normal blood sugar levels over time are an indication of diabetes.

Concordia researchers Kerri Delaney and Sylvia Santosa look at how fat tissue from different parts of the body may lead to diabetes onset in men and women. They reviewed almost 200 scientific papers looking for a deeper understanding of how fat operates at the surface and tissue level, and the mechanism by which that tissue contributes to diabetes onset. 

Men and women store fat in different places. Diabetes, like many other diseases, is closely associated with abdominal fat. Women tend to store that far just under the skin. This is known as subcutaneous fat. In men, abdominal fat is stored around the organs. This is visceral fat. 

Fat appears to exhibit different features in men and women. They grow differently, are dispersed differently and interact with the inflammatory and immune system differently. For example, in men fat tissue expands because the fat cell grow in size, in women fat cells multiply and increase in number. This changes with the loss of the protective hormone estrogen that disappears with menopause and may explain why men are more susceptible to diabetes earlier in life than women. 

Delaney and Santosa hope that by identifying how diabetes risks are different in men and women, clinical approaches of treatment of the disease can be better define between men and women. 

"Currently, the treatment of diabetes is similar for men and women," says Santosa, an associate professor in the department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology. "If we understood the differences between them better, we could consider these mechanism in recommending treatments to men and women based on how diabetes medications work." 

Diabetes is a serious diseases. Careful diabetes care can reduce your risk of serious - even life threatening - complications. 

Here are ten ways to take an active role in your diabetes care and enjoy a healthier future. 

* Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control 

* Make a commitment to managing your diabetes 

* Pay attention to your feet 

* Consider a daily aspirin 

* Take stress seriously 

* Cut sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet. 

* Eat fiber 

* Take care of your teeth 

* Drink water 

* Make a diabetes meal plan