Post by Angie on Oct 26, 2008 14:06:39 GMT -5
PCOS and Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes
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A root cause of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is obesity-linked Insulin Resistance, which can also increase the risk of developing Pre-Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes. All are disorders that may result in Cardiovascular Disease leading to a heart attack or stroke.
Pre-Diabetes affects people with blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet in the Type 2 Diabetes range. Doctors sometimes call this condition impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), depending on the blood test used to diagnose it.
The good news is that Pre-Diabetes doesn't have to lead to Type 2 Diabetes because it can reversed. But if neglected, Pre-Diabetes may become Type 2 Diabetes, which must be managed for the rest of your life and often requires daily injections of insulin.
Type 2 Diabetes is also a significantly increased risk factor for blindness, amputation and kidney disease. So it is critical that you understand the interaction of Insulin Resistance-linked PCOS and the various forms of Diabetes in order to avoid the onset of other serious health complications.
The human body processes food into energy by converting it into glucose, which is then passed into the cells via insulin receptor sites. Insulin is a vital hormone produced in the pancreas. Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes are disorders of that metabolism and a malfunction of the process that converts food to energy. People with one form or another of Diabetes either cannot use the insulin that is produced or they have a pancreas that produces little or no insulin. As the pancreas struggles to keep up with the body's need for more insulin, excessive levels of glucose and insulin build up in the blood stream, often leading directly to Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes.
Certain factors that figure in the onset of PCOS are also implicated in the development of Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes: excessive abdominal fat, high LDL "bad" blood cholesterol and low HDL "good" cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides and hypertension (high blood pressure).
When you are Insulin Resistant, your muscle, fat and liver cells do not use insulin properly. Because of the overproduction of insulin from the pancreas, many people with Insulin Resistance have high levels of both blood glucose and insulin circulating in their blood at the same time.
It's important to understand the distinction between Insulin Resistance and Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes. Insulin Resistance occurs when the body produces enough insulin but its cells lack enough receptor sites to allow the absorption of insulin at a cellular level. Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes develop when the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or it can't process the insulin that is produced.
"Simply losing 5-7% of your body fat (typically 10-15 pounds) and increasing your physical activity by taking a brisk walk 4-5 times a week can reduce your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by almost 60%."
- Diabetes Prevention Program study 2001, study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, et al.
All of the factors associated with Insulin Resistance, PCOS and Pre-Diabetes are interrelated. Obesity and lack of exercise worsen Insulin Resistance, which then has a negative effect on lipid production, increasing VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein), LDL (low-density lipoprotein - the "bad" cholesterol) and triglyceride levels in the blood stream and decreasing HDL (high-density lipoprotein - the "good" cholesterol.)
These conditions are also severely increased risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes which is one of the top fatal disorders in the United States. In 2000, it was the sixth leading cause of death and has been associated with long term complications affecting almost every part of the body, leading to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations and nerve damage.
Obese women are particularly susceptible to PCOS and Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes. A vicious cycle quickly forms because these conditions, in turn, put women at dramatically increased risk of Cardiovascular Disease, as well as the development of many other serious health conditions, including stroke, kidney damage and blindness.
Many patients have been educated about the importance of exercising, checking their cholesterol levels and having their blood pressure monitored. But there has been little to tie all of these factors together.
Studies have shown that a single solution will simply not work in trying to address the myriad symptoms of conditions that can lead to Insulin Resistance-linked PCOS and Pre-Diabetes. No pharmaceutical has yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically to reverse these conditions, though there are approved drugs for use in the management of Type 2 Diabetes, which is an irreversible disorder.
If you wish to return to optimum health and avoid or reverse Insulin Resistance-linked disorders, you have to consider a system which combines nutraceuticals (vitamins, herbs and minerals that are disease-specific), a realistic exercise program, nutritional guidance and a support system that will help you change unhealthy lifestyle choices.
.
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A root cause of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is obesity-linked Insulin Resistance, which can also increase the risk of developing Pre-Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes. All are disorders that may result in Cardiovascular Disease leading to a heart attack or stroke.
Pre-Diabetes affects people with blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet in the Type 2 Diabetes range. Doctors sometimes call this condition impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), depending on the blood test used to diagnose it.
The good news is that Pre-Diabetes doesn't have to lead to Type 2 Diabetes because it can reversed. But if neglected, Pre-Diabetes may become Type 2 Diabetes, which must be managed for the rest of your life and often requires daily injections of insulin.
Type 2 Diabetes is also a significantly increased risk factor for blindness, amputation and kidney disease. So it is critical that you understand the interaction of Insulin Resistance-linked PCOS and the various forms of Diabetes in order to avoid the onset of other serious health complications.
The human body processes food into energy by converting it into glucose, which is then passed into the cells via insulin receptor sites. Insulin is a vital hormone produced in the pancreas. Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes are disorders of that metabolism and a malfunction of the process that converts food to energy. People with one form or another of Diabetes either cannot use the insulin that is produced or they have a pancreas that produces little or no insulin. As the pancreas struggles to keep up with the body's need for more insulin, excessive levels of glucose and insulin build up in the blood stream, often leading directly to Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes.
Certain factors that figure in the onset of PCOS are also implicated in the development of Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes: excessive abdominal fat, high LDL "bad" blood cholesterol and low HDL "good" cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides and hypertension (high blood pressure).
When you are Insulin Resistant, your muscle, fat and liver cells do not use insulin properly. Because of the overproduction of insulin from the pancreas, many people with Insulin Resistance have high levels of both blood glucose and insulin circulating in their blood at the same time.
It's important to understand the distinction between Insulin Resistance and Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes. Insulin Resistance occurs when the body produces enough insulin but its cells lack enough receptor sites to allow the absorption of insulin at a cellular level. Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes develop when the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or it can't process the insulin that is produced.
"Simply losing 5-7% of your body fat (typically 10-15 pounds) and increasing your physical activity by taking a brisk walk 4-5 times a week can reduce your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by almost 60%."
- Diabetes Prevention Program study 2001, study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, et al.
All of the factors associated with Insulin Resistance, PCOS and Pre-Diabetes are interrelated. Obesity and lack of exercise worsen Insulin Resistance, which then has a negative effect on lipid production, increasing VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein), LDL (low-density lipoprotein - the "bad" cholesterol) and triglyceride levels in the blood stream and decreasing HDL (high-density lipoprotein - the "good" cholesterol.)
These conditions are also severely increased risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes which is one of the top fatal disorders in the United States. In 2000, it was the sixth leading cause of death and has been associated with long term complications affecting almost every part of the body, leading to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations and nerve damage.
Obese women are particularly susceptible to PCOS and Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes. A vicious cycle quickly forms because these conditions, in turn, put women at dramatically increased risk of Cardiovascular Disease, as well as the development of many other serious health conditions, including stroke, kidney damage and blindness.
Many patients have been educated about the importance of exercising, checking their cholesterol levels and having their blood pressure monitored. But there has been little to tie all of these factors together.
Studies have shown that a single solution will simply not work in trying to address the myriad symptoms of conditions that can lead to Insulin Resistance-linked PCOS and Pre-Diabetes. No pharmaceutical has yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically to reverse these conditions, though there are approved drugs for use in the management of Type 2 Diabetes, which is an irreversible disorder.
If you wish to return to optimum health and avoid or reverse Insulin Resistance-linked disorders, you have to consider a system which combines nutraceuticals (vitamins, herbs and minerals that are disease-specific), a realistic exercise program, nutritional guidance and a support system that will help you change unhealthy lifestyle choices.
.
