Around 12.5 percent of American women will develop diabetes in their 50s, and by the time they reach 60, their risk will have leaped to 17 percent. If you suffer from high blood sugar, what impact will menopause have on your condition?
There are two kinds of diabetes mellitus. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults whose bodies do not produce enough insulin. But type 2, or “adult-onset,” diabetes occurs when the insulin your body produces doesn’t work properly. In this scenario (known as insulin resistance), glucose remains in the blood rather than being absorbed by cells and used for energy. To make things worse, your pancreas keeps producing more of the hormone to compensate for the inefficient insulin.
Unfortunately, type 2 diabetes can go undiagnosed for years as the initial symptoms—thirst, tiredness and frequent visits to the bathroom—can be so slight you barely notice them. If you suspect you are at risk (due to a family history of the disease or being overweight, for example) book an appointment with your healthcare provider so you can be screened.
Keep an Eye on Your BellyAfter you reach age 45, your chances of developing type 2 diabetes increase.
The natural effects of aging, such as muscle loss and a slower metabolism, pose a particular threat. Unfortunately, this can make itself known via what is sometimes called “apple belly”—that irritating, difficult-to-shift weight gain you may have tried to ignore around your middle! It’s important not to let this extra abdominal weight settle on your waist, as it signifies a higher chance of contracting cardiovascular disease. When the body is noticeably storing fat around the tummy and nowhere else, it can be hereditary.There are some who theorize that it is also a sign that stress levels are high enough to be causing hypertension and high blood pressure.
It is important to maintain muscle mass because it’s the primary location of insulin-mediated glucose uptake and thus is important for stabilizing blood sugar. Simply incorporating more exercise into your daily routine will go a long way toward remedying the balance. In fact, the Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group found that a 7 percent decrease in weight combined with 150 minutes of exercise per week led to a 58 percent reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Initially, Rosario Vasquez, 52, of Salinas, Calif., found it hard to believe that she could fit exercise into her day when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but 20 to 30 minutes of moderate activity daily now seems natural to her. “If I don’t do something—even if it’s just walking to the mailbox and back to get some air—I really notice the effect on how I feel, both physically and mentally. It’s become very important to me to feel active. It gives me energy and a sense of well-being.”
You may need to look at your diet, too. If you have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more, you should try to lose the excess pounds. Weight loss in high-risk patients has been shown to decrease insulin resistance.
How much you eat might not be the only factor, though. Some theories suggest that what you eat also plays a significant role. Rob M. van Dam, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and his colleagues, discovered that the risk of developing adult-onset diabetes dropped 21 percent with every two additional servings of whole grain per day.
Effects of HormonesSo how does menopause affect your blood sugar levels? It’s thought that falling estrogen levels during menopause lead to a decrease in pancreatic insulin secretion and an increase in insulin resistance. However, if you have diabetes and are considering starting hormone therapy, it’s worth noting that research results vary.
While some studies have found that oral estrogen alone and combination oral estrogen and progestogen help stabilize blood sugar levels, other studies have not supported that conclusion.
In the Nurses’ Health Study with a 12-year follow-up, researchers found no evidence that the dose or duration of estrogen, progestogen or combined estrogen-progestogen therapy had any impact on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The study results are more consistent—and not positive—regarding the effect on blood levels of triglycerides, fatty acids that can contribute to the risk of heart disease and stroke. In all the trials, only transdermal estrogen plus norethisterone (a progestogen) did not worsen triglyceride levels.
Based on current research, hormone therapy should never be used to prevent type 2 diabetes or to alter the risk of cardiovascular disease. It’s always advisable to speak with your healthcare provider to find the treatment that
suits you best.
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