Sad news to report. Hip hop legend Doctor Dre, known for being the co-host of “Yo! MTV Raps”, has lost his vision due to complications from diabetes.
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Dre has been fighting type 2 diabetes for years, which has caused him to also lose a toe, according to ABC.
See one of Dre’s classic moments on MTV below:
According to the CDC, nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes. That figure represents over 9% of the population, or 1 in 10 people. Sadly, the diabetes epidemic is hitting the African American community hardest. African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as non-Hispanic whites.
According to Mayo Clinic, the far more common type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes, once known as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose), your body’s main source of fuel.
With type 2 diabetes, your body either resists the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into your cells — or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. Untreated, type 2 diabetes can be life-threatening.
Prior to the onset of type 2 diabetes, many people are affected by a potentially reversible diabetes condition called prediabetes, where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.
Researchers don’t fully understand why some people develop prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and others don’t. However, they do agree that certain factors increase the risk, including:
Weight: The more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin.
Inactivity: The less active you are, the greater your risk. Physical activity helps you control your weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin. Exercising less than three times a week may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Family history: Your risk increases if a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes.
Race: Although it’s unclear why, people of certain races — including blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Asians — are at higher risk.
Age: Your risk increases as you get older. This may be because you tend to exercise less, lose muscle mass and gain weight as you age. But type 2 diabetes is also increasing dramatically among children, adolescents and younger adults.
Gestational diabetes: If you developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant, your risk of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes later increases. If you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4 kilograms), you’re also at risk of type 2 diabetes.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): For women, having polycystic ovary syndrome — a common condition characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth and obesity — increases the risk of diabetes.
High blood pressure: Having blood pressure over 140/90mm Hg is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Abnormal cholesterol levels: If you have low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol, your risk of type 2 diabetes is higher. Low levels of HDL are defined as below 35 mg/dL.
High levels of triglycerides: Triglycerides are a fat carried in the blood. If your triglyceride levels are above 250 mg/dL, your risk of diabetes increases.
Mayo Clinic’s Department of Endocrinology, which treats and researches diabetes, is yet again ranked as the #1 endocrinology center in the United States. For more information on diabetes, visit Mayo Clinic at www.mayoclinic.org.
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