At Last: Good News About Diabetes

At long last, there’s some good news in the battle against the silent killer diabetes. According to researchers at the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number of new cases of the disease in the United States has started to decline. According to CDC researchers, the number of new cases declined by almost 20 percent between 2008 and 2014, the first meaningful decline since the disease started to explode in the late 1980s.

CDC experts said they were unable to pinpoint a precise reason for the decline, but said an overall increase in health consciousness among Americans may have something to do with it. Americans drink 25 percent less soda than they did in the late 1990s, and the overall number of calories consumed by both children and adults have declined as well. Americans are marginally more active than they were at the turn of the century, and as a result the rate of obesity has started to level off. Obesity is a major risk factor in the development of type 2, or adult onset, diabetes.

Although experts are encouraged by the decline in new cases, they caution that diabetes remains a big problem in the United States, much bigger than it was even in the 1980s. The disease remains the lading cause of blindness, limb—especially lower limb—amputation, and kidney dialysis.

The best way to avoid diabetes starts with knowledge. Have your blood glucose level checked, and work toward keeping it below 100. Key steps to take include staying active and maintaining a healthy body weight. Eat a diet high in vegetables and fruit, consume red meat and alcohol sparingly, get regular exercise, and avoid tobacco products.