Tens of thousands of Utahns are stalked by a silent killer, unaware that it hovers just out of sight.
"We think there are over 40,000 people in the state of Utah who have adult-onset diabetes and don't even know it," said Mary Brand, a nurse who is also a certified diabetes educator.Brand, based at LDS Hospital, will join Dr. James R. Grua to answer questions from the public about diabetes today during the monthly Deseret News/Inter-mountain Health Care Hospitals Health Hotline. Grua is an endocrinologist at LDS Hospital and Primary Children's Medical Center.
If many diabetes sufferers have such a seemingly mild case of diabetes that they don't even know they have it, how could it be a serious problem?
"Because when the blood sugars are too high, damage can be caused to the body even though you don't know you have it," Brand said. "Diabetes uncontrolled causes long-term damage to the blood vessels and the nerves."
Among the possible complications of untreated diabetes are blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and amputations.
Since diabetes can be detected through medical tests, don't physicians routinely screen for the disease? "They may or may not do that," she said.
"You should probably ask for it (a diabetes test). There are certain risk factors that make it even more important for you to be aware of diabetes."
Among risk factors that contribute to the likelihood of a person's having diabetes are a family history of the disease, age older than 40 and obesity. Women who have had gestational diabetes - that is, diabetes associated with a pregnancy - are at greater risk.
"Also, there's a higher incidence in African-Americans, Hispanics and American Indians," she said.
Although some victims have the disease without experiencing symptoms, others may have fatigue, increased thirst and urination, hunger, blurred vision, frequent infections and dry skin.
People who are diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes "should work with their health-care provider to get on a treatment plan," she said. The plan incorporates meal-planning, exercise and weight loss when appropriate.
Only about 10 percent of Americans with diabetes have juvenile-onset diabetes, which requires insulin.
"But with the adult-onset diabetes that usually comes on after the age of 40, that kind sometimes can be controlled just with the meal planning, the exercise, the weight loss, and/or the medication," she said.
"Some of them do take insulin, but not the majority."
One goal of today's hotline is to help Utahns prepare for national diabetes screening day March 28. To find out locations of clinics where screenings will take place, or for other questions, call the American Diabetes Association toll-free at 1-800-888-1734.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Call hotline today for information
Are you a diabetic without knowing it?
Although many people with diabetes have no symptoms, others may have indications. Two experts who can help people learn whether they are at risk - and provide information about a host of other diabetes-related topics - will answer questions about the disease today.
They are Dr. James R. Grua and registered nurse Mary Brand, and their forum is the monthly Deseret News/Intermountain Health Care Hotline. From 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., they will field questions about diabetes.
Grua is an endocrinologist at LDS Hospital and Primary Children's Medical Center, while Brand is a certified diabetes educator at LDS Hospital.
Callers can contract Brand and Grua toll-free from anywhere in the region by dialing 1-800-925-8177. People contacting the hotline will not be asked for their names. The program is not broadcast, but summaries of some questions and answers are scheduled for Sunday's paper.
The hotline is a public service of the Deseret News and IHC.