Type 2 Diabetes Research Paper

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Introduction The purpose of this study is to research the disease Type 2 Diabetes and to discover whether it is being effectively treated and prevented in Merced County, California. According to the National Institutes of Health, Diabetes Mellitus is “a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. It is also the most common form of Diabetes”.1 Furthermore, there are many risk and lifestyle factors associated with this disease, but the most prevalent are; obesity (#1 risk factor), sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, family history and genetics, increased age, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and a history of gestational diabetes.2 The long term complications of having type 2 diabetes can include but are not limited to; eye problems (cataracts and glaucoma), foot problems (neuropathy/ nerve damage), skin problems (infections), high blood pressure (which raises your risk for heart attack, stroke, eye problems and kidney disease), hearing loss, oral health, mental health and early death.3 Based on the quantitative data available, type 2 diabetes is a very serious issue affecting the residents of Merced County. Compared to all 58 counties in California, Merced ranks 50th in the number of deaths from this disease, with an age-adjusted mortality rate of 26.1 deaths per 100,000 of the population (2007-2009).4 In comparison, California’s age-adjusted average is 19.5 deaths.5 However, we find that Merced fairs better than the 65.8 deaths per 100,000 persons set as the target rate by Healthy People 2020.6 In addition, healthypeople.gov has an overarching goal related to type 2 diabetes and health which is to reduce the disease and economic burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) a... ... middle of paper ... .../pubs/pdf/diabetesreportcard.pdf. Accessed November 8, 2013. 2. California Diabetes Program. Available at: http://caldiabetes.org/content.cfm?contentID=1259&ProfilesID=22. Accessed November 7, 2013. 3.County Health Status Profiles. Available at: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/Pubs/OHIRProfiles2013.pdf. Accessed November 9, 2013. 4.Merced County Health Status Profile 2011. Available at: http://www.co.merced.ca.us/documents/Public%20Health/MerCo%20Hlth%20Status%20Profile%202011.PDF. Accessed November 9, 2013. 5. HealthyPeople.gov. Diabetes. Available at: http://healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=8. Accessed November 8, 2013. Table 1. https://watch.diabetesreversaltalk.com/pages/ep-v1/img/scott-slide_003.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3RtrvOxNXA0/U53kEwsb0vI/AAAAAAAACX0/xVE6GJNUdys/s1600/map26.jpg

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