Six celebrities you didn't know have diabetes - symptoms and causes
ACCORDING to data provided by Diabetes.co.uk it is estimated that 415 million people worldwide are living with diabetes. 90 percent of these are type 2, which develops when your body becomes resistant to insulin rather than type 1 where an individual's insulin producing cells are attacked due to an autoimmune reaction. Within this statistic are multiple celebrities, including Tom Hanks and Theresa May.
Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert
Type 2 diabetes usually appears in adults and is caused by lifestyle choices such as inactivity and being overweight. Although other environmental factors may also play a role. Type 1 diabetes on the other hand is passed on through genetics or exposure to viruses. Despite the type, symptoms are very similar with both.
These symptoms include the following:
- Urinating frequently
- Feeling very thirsty and drinking a lot
- Feeling very hungry
- Feeling very fatigued
- Having blurry vision
- Having cuts or sores that don’t heal properly
- Mood changes
- Unintentional weight loss.
Symptoms present themselves in very different ways according to the type of diabetes that an individual has. Type 1 diabetes symptoms develop muhc quicker, typically over a couple of weeks, this explains why more children or adolescents are diagnosed.
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Similarly, Olympic rowing royalty Sir Steve Redgrave was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later in life. At the age of 35 amid his training and preparation for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 which included fluctuating between low-sugar diets and high-calorie diets Sir Steve received his diagnosis. Although he expressed concern that it would interfere with his sport, he still managed to win his fifth gold medal at that games. When living with type 1 diabetes regular injections of insulin are used to control blood glucose levels
However, this can be an inconvenience to many hectic Hollywood schedules. One person who knows this all too well is actress and model Halle Berry. It was during the taping of television series Living Dolls in 1989 when Halle suddenly collapsed into a diabetic coma, shortly afterwards she was diagnosed with the condition. Another celebrity whose type 1 diabetes is manageable so it does not interfere with their career is footballer Gary Mabbutt.
After complaining of typical symptoms including being lethargic and running out of energy quickly, the former England captain and Tottenham Hot Spurs player was diagnosed. Rugby fly-half Henry Slade is a fellow sportsman who developed type 1 diabetes at the age of 18. Now 29, his career has not been jeopardised - he was called into the England Squad for the 2015 Six Nations. Former Prime Minister Home Secretary Theresa May is another who has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.The news came as a shock to the politician, who put the development of the disorder down to “dashing about” in her role and not noticing her weight loss or frequent water drinking.