More than 38 million Americans have diabetes, resulting in a massive $306 billion spent on medical costs each year.1 Could you be at risk for diabetes? Or do you or a family member struggle to prevent or manage this condition?
Keep reading to understand your risk and find resources to help manage type 2 diabetes.
To fully understand your risk, you must first know what type 2 diabetes is. It’s a chronic condition that happens when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the cells ignore the insulin produced. Insulin lets blood sugar — also called glucose — enter the body’s cells to be used for energy. When insulin can’t do its job, the cells can’t get the sugar they need, and too much sugar builds up in the blood.
You can develop type 2 diabetes if:
Your weight, activity level, family history and other factors affect how your body responds to insulin.
Type 2 diabetes can begin gradually and progress slowly. Some people don’t have symptoms, while others do. The earlier diabetes is detected, the more you can reduce the risk of complications.
The American Diabetes Association® notes the following symptoms of type 2 diabetes:2
If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, your health care provider will determine a treatment plan to help manage and monitor the condition.
Some common type 2 diabetes treatment guidelines include:3
Reversing type 2 diabetes can be possible for some people. If enrolled in a GuideStone® health plan, you have access to a fully-covered medical benefit — Twin Health™ — for members and adult dependents 18 and older with type 2 diabetes.
The program centers around a Whole Body Digital Twin™ — a digital representation of your metabolic health. Your Twin uses health tools to see how you respond to food, activity and sleep. It then gives real-time, personalized recommendations via the Twin app. Twin Health sets you up for success with health tools and a dedicated care team.
Start Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Now
At GuideStone, we seek to educate and equip you for a resilient life — whether you’re evaluating your risk for type 2 diabetes, protecting your family with life insurance, walking through a difficult diagnosis for your child, or choosing a health plan that doesn’t compromise your biblical values. For more information, contact us at Insurance@GuideStone.org or 1-844-INS-GUIDE (1-844-467-4843), Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.
GuideStone welcomes the opportunity to share this general information. However, this article is not intended to be relied upon as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
1Diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics/about-diabetes
2Diabetes.org/about-diabetes/type-2
3MayoClinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351199
Article 