According to the American Diabetes Association, there are currently more than 25.3 million people dealing with diabetes in the U.S., and a shocking 79 million more people are pre-diabetic. The estimated nationwide cost of medical care for these individuals is $245 billion, and the human cost is even worse. After all, having diabetes can greatly reduce your quality of life, and it can cause you to deal with a long list of complications such as blindness, amputations, kidney failure, nerve damage and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is important to take steps to protect yourself, including adjusting your diet, getting regular exercise and avoiding drugs such as Lipitor that can increase your risk of developing diabetes.
The Top Five Causes of Diabetes
1) Genetics – Sadly, anyone who has a family history of diabetes needs to be especially careful because they are much more likely to be diagnosed with this serious medical condition at some point during their life. However, research indicates that genetics alone are not enough to cause a person to become diabetic. Instead, you will also need to fall into at least one other risk category.
2) Smoking – The Korean Cancer Prevention Society conducted a study with smokers and non-smokers to determine the impact that smoking has on diabetes, and they discovered that nicotine can play a major role in the development of this disease. In fact, the more cigarettes an individual smokes each day, the more likely they are to end up dealing with diabetes. Therefore, if you have a family history of diabetes, it is imperative for you to quit smoking.
3) Obesity – Although there are millions of overweight people who will not develop diabetes, choosing to live a sedentary lifestyle will put you in the highest risk group. After all, approximately 80 percent of all diabetes cases involve patients who are overweight. However, even if you are genetically predisposed to have a larger body type, you can still reduce your odds of becoming diabetic by exercising on a regular basis.
4.) Prescription Medications – Unfortunately, some of the medications that are prescribed to combat other medical issues can actually end up causing diabetes. For example, Lipitor has been proven to cause diabetes in postmenopausal patients who take the medication to treat high cholesterol. Other medications that have been implicated in the diagnosis of diabetes include Advair, Deltasone, Trandate, Esidrix and Diuril. According to one lawyer for Lipitor cases, if you took these medications and were not warned of potentially dangerous side effects, you may even be able to get fair compensation.
5.) Abnormal Glucose Production – Some diabetes patients have a malfunctioning liver that does not produce the normal level of glucose in conjunction with their pancreas. Unfortunately, medical researchers have not yet been able to determine why this issue occurs, but they have conclusively determined that it can cause diabetes.
If you are dealing with diabetes due to taking a prescription medication such as Lipitor, you should contact an attorney to determine what your legal options are. After all, diabetes is a serious and expensive medical condition, and you should not be forced to deal with it without receiving financial compensation from the manufacturer of Lipitor.
Writer Melanie Fleury has a father with insulin dependent diabetes. She knows not only the physical drain it takes on him, but can see the financial issues slowly creeping up. If you have been prescribed lipitor, you can find a lawyer for Lipitor cases that specializes in getting help for those who have faced harsh side effects.
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