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Diabetes at a Glance
Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot produce or properly respond to insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced from the pancreas. It acts as a key that unlocks the cells to allow glucose (simplest form of sugars derived from food) to travel from the blood into the cells and be used or stored as energy. When there is too little or no insulin, glucose builds up in the blood and will result in what we call "high blood sugar" or "high blood glucose." Uncontrolled high blood glucose levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, and eventually lead to the development of long-term complications that affect the eyes (retinopathy), heart, kidney (nephropathy), feet and skin (neuropathy) and could lead to sexual dysfunction.
Recent studies show that early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes can reduce the risk of complications significantly. In fact, many people with diabetes today can live healthy and happy lives. Diabetes disproportionally affects the minority populations, including Asian descents despite their lower body weight. However, there is little public awareness of this epidemic in the Asian American population.
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