How Does Diabetes Affect Women Over the Age of 40?

Understanding diabetes

Diabetes affects how your body processes glucose, which is a type of sugar. Glucose is important for your overall health. It serves as a source of energy for your brain, muscles, and other tissue cells. Without the right amount of glucose, your body has trouble functioning properly.

Two types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes

Five percent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. If you have type 1 diabetes, your body can’t produce insulin. With proper treatment and lifestyle choices, you can still lead a healthy life.

Doctors usually diagnose type 1 diabetes in people who are younger than 40. The majority of people who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are children and young adults.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is more common than type 1 diabetes. Your risk of developing it increases as you age, especially after age 45.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your body is insulin resistant. This means it doesn’t use insulin efficiently. Over time, your body can’t produce enough insulin to maintain consistent blood glucose levels. A number of factors can contribute to type 2 diabetes, including:

genetics
poor lifestyle habits
excess weight
high blood pressure

Diabetes affects men and women in different ways. Women with diabetes are at higher risk of:

heart disease, which is the most common complication of diabetes
blindness
depression

If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, you can take steps to manage your blood sugar and lower your risk of complications. This can include eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and following your doctor’s prescribed treatment plan.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms typically develop more slowly in type 2 diabetes than type 1 diabetes. Watch out for the following symptoms:

fatigue
extreme thirst
increased urination
blurred vision
weight loss for no apparent reason
tingling in your hands or feet
tender gums
slow-healing cuts and sores

The symptoms of diabetes vary. You may experience some or all of these symptoms. If you notice any of them, contact your doctor. They may be symptoms of diabetes or other medical issues.

It’s also possible to have diabetes with no obvious symptoms. That’s why it’s important to follow your doctor’s recommendations for routine blood glucose screening. Ask your doctor if they should check your blood glucose level.

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What causes diabetes?

If you have diabetes, your body doesn’t produce or use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body convert glucose into energy and store excess glucose in your liver. When your body doesn’t produce or use insulin the way it should, glucose builds up in your blood. Over time, high blood glucose levels can lead to serious health complications.

Risk factors for diabetes

You’re at increased risk of developing diabetes if you:

are over the age of 40
are overweight
eat a poor diet
don’t exercise enough
smoke tobacco
have high blood pressure
have a family history of diabetes
have a history of gestational diabetes, which puts women at a greater risk of developing diabetes after childbearing age
experience viral infections often

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Diagnosing diabetes

You won’t know if you have diabetes until you get properly tested. Your doctor will probably use a fasting plasma glucose test to check you for signs of diabetes.

Before the test, your doctor will ask you to fast for eight hours. You can drink water, but you should avoid all food during this time. After you’ve fasted, a healthcare provider will take a sample of your blood to check your fasting blood glucose level. This is the level of glucose in your blood when there’s no food in your body. If your fasting blood sugar level is 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher, your doctor will likely diagnose you with diabetes.

You may take a separate test afterward. If so, you’ll be asked to drink a sugary beverage and wait two hours. Don’t expect to move much during this time. Your doctor wants to see how your body reacts to sugar. Your doctor will periodically test your blood sugar levels over the course of two hours. At the end of two hours, they’ll take another sample of your blood and test it. If your blood sugar level is 200 mg/dL or higher after two hours, it’s likely your doctor will diagnose you with diabetes.

Treating diabetes

Your doctor may prescribe medication to help keep your blood glucose in the healthy range. For example, they may prescribe oral pills, insulin injections, or both.

You need to maintain a healthy lifestyle to manage your diabetes and lower your risk of complications. Exercise regularly and eat a well-balanced diet. Consider following meal plans and recipes made especially for people with diabetes. For example, the American Diabetes Association offers recipes to help make healthy eating easier and less stressful.

Learn About Diabetes

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