Diabetes Health Center
Sept. 14, 2011 -- Worldwide, 366 million people have diabetes, the International Diabetes
Federation says.
That's 54 million more people than the entire population of the United States.
This year, an estimated 4.6 million people will die of diabetes -- far more people than the
3.8 million people living in Los Angeles.
The global annual health care cost of diabetes reached $465 billion.
The new estimates were announced this week at the annual meeting of the European
Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). The idea is to jump-start next week's
United Nations meeting on non-communicable diseases. The world body will discuss
ramping up efforts to battle diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and lung
disease.
"In 2011, one person is dying from diabetes every seven seconds," International Diabetes
Federation president Jean Claude Mbanya says in a news release. "The clock is ticking for
the world's leaders. We expect action from their meeting next week … that will halt
diabetes' relentlessly upward trajectory."
In the U.S., diabetes is a growing issue. The CDC estimates that 25.8 million Americans
have diabetes, although only 18.8 million have been diagnosed. Four out of five U.S.
diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes, which sometimes may be preventable.
But prevention is not what's happening. If current trends continue, by 2050 an estimated
one in three Americans will have diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association estimates that the U.S. cost of diabetes is $174 billion
a year. That figure balloons to more than $218 billion when costs of prediabetes,
gestational diabetes, and undiagnosed diabetes are included.
Gout and Diabetes
Once termed “the kings’ disease,” gout used to be a problem primarily for wealthy
people and royalty who lounged around drinking wine and eating rich food. But today, an
estimated 68% of American adults are either overweight or obese. As a result, gout and
type 2 diabetes -- two diseases that can result from an unhealthy lifestyle -- are sharply on
the rise.
Gout is an arthritic condition caused by having an excess buildup of uric acid. It causes
sudden, extreme attacks of pain, swelling, and redness. Gouty arthritis most often strikes
the big toe, but it also can show up in the feet, ankles, knees, hands, and wrists.
Type 2 diabetes, a disease characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood, also can
result from eating too much and moving too little.
Gout and type 2 diabetes often co-exist in people with common physical characteristics and
conditions, the most prominent being obesity.
“A lot of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes are the same for gout,” says Michele
Meltzer, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in
Philadelphia who specializes in gout. By changing these risk factors, you can help prevent
or fight both diseases.
Here’s what you can do:

Lose weight. “We are digging our graves with our forks in this country,” says
John D. Reveille, MD, director of the division of rheumatology at UT Health
Medical School in Houston. To prevent gout, type 2 diabetes, and a host of other
health problems, he says you should keep a close eye on your body mass index
(BMI) and waist circumference. According to the National Institutes of Health,
waist size becomes very important when a person’s body mass index (BMI) is
between 25 and 34.9. A BMI over 25 is considered overweight, and a BMI greater
than 30 is considered obese. Keep your waist size below 35 inches if you are a
woman and 40 inches if you are a man.

Exercise regularly. Regular exercise will help control weight and lower high blood
pressure, both of which will lower your uric acid level and therefore lessen your
chance of developing gout. “Plus, it’s well documented that exercise improves
the glucose intolerance associated with type 2 diabetes,” Reveille says. He
recommends 30 minutes of moderate activity, at least five days a week. If you're
having an acute gout attack or have damaged joints from weight issues, some
activities may be difficult. Talk to your health care provider about the best exercise
plan for you.


Skip the alcohol. A landmark study done by researchers at Massachusetts General
Hospital examined the connection between drinking beer and gout. They found that
people who drank two to four beers per week were 25% more likely to develop
gout. And those who averaged at least two beers a day had a 200% higher risk.
“Beer and hard liquor appear to cause a rise in uric acid levels,” Meltzer says.
The same doesn't appear to be true with wine, however. Binge drinking is also a
very strong risk factor for gout. “Plus, people who eliminate their two beers a day
drop weight very quickly, which lowers risk of type 2 diabetes. So you get a
two-for-one by cutting out the beer,” she says.
Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. Early research suggests that beverages
sweetened with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, such as regular soft drinks, may
increase the chances of developing gout. Even orange juice may increase gout.
Eliminating sugary beverages is also a great way to cut calories from your diet,
shed a few pounds, and improve your diabetes.


Go on a gout diet. A gout diet aims to control uric acid production by reducing
intake of foods high in purines. High-purine foods create increased levels of uric
acid in the body. Some of the worst high-purine foods are liver and other organ
meats, as well as anchovies. Other foods to avoid include lobster, shrimp, scallops,
herring, mackerel, beef, pork, and lamb. Don't worry about cutting out purines
completely. Just eat these foods in moderation: No more than one serving daily.
Eat more dairy.Some studies have shown that drinking skim or low-fat milk or
eating low-fat dairy products can help reduce risk of gout, Meltzer says. There is
evidence that eating low-fat dairy helps lower risk of type 2 diabetes as well. Aim
for 16 to 24 fluid ounces of dairy per day.
From: http://arthritis.webmd.com/living-with-chronic-gout-11/gout-and-diabetes