Diabetes hits women hard, especially at midlife. In the United States, it’s the number 6 killer of women ages 45 to 54 and the number 4 killer of women ages 55 to 64. What’s more, diabetes increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and many other serious conditions, including blindness, kidney disease, and nerve disease. What’s sad if you don’t die from diabetes but the effects of the disease. Today we are seeing an increase in the number of type II diabetes especially in obese people age 40 and older. Type 1 is less common and usually starts in childhood.
Does menopause increase diabetes risk? That hasn’t been an easy question for researchers to answer. It’s hard to separate the effects of menopause from the effects of age and weight. But it does look like hormones do have something to do with it. If you are a woman over age 50, you’re especially vulnerable, and women pay a heavy price for the disease. They lose more years of life than men with diabetes do. In addition, the death rate for women with diabetes has risen dramatically since the 1970s, while it has not for men with the disease. This can be for many reasons, but for women having high blood pressure develop during pregnancy (preeclampsia), diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes), or polycystic ovary syndrome can raise the risk dramatically.
What can you do? Well, here are a few tips – get tested! So many women don’t pay attention to their bodies and the signs. The American Diabetes Association recommends that you get tested every three years starting at age 45. If you have high blood pressure, more often is recommended. Type II diabetes was thought to be family history, but now we know this is lifestyle onset. It can be prevented! Diet and exercise – overweight equals high risk to insulin resistance and type II diabetes. If nothing else, get walking! Weight bearing exercise is highly recommended especially for women and their bones. Being a holistic health coach I highly recommend high quality supplements and the use of essential oils to help regulate the blood sugar. This along with a healthy low glycemic food plan can reduce the levels to a normal range. Pay attention to your body!
I help people overcome their limiting beliefs that are keeping them stuck, broke and unhealthy to create balance, time freedom and restore their health! You can find me at www.livinglifeholistic.com or via email at susano@livinglifeholistic.com