Diabetes mellitus is a growing global health threat. The disease is the leading cause of death for approximately 7.000.000 people annually worldwide. It is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, kidney failure, permanent retinal damage, and other serious complications.
According to the data of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), worldwide in the last thirty years, there has been a rapid increase in the incidence of the disease, with the result that today, more than 285.000.000 people suffer from it, i.e., 6,6, 151.000.000% of the earth’s population, compared to 2000 in the year 2000.
In Greece, about 12% of the general population suffers from diabetes.
The disease has a higher incidence in the Western world, especially type II diabetes, and this is a clear indication of its association with modern lifestyles, eating habits, and lack of physical exercise.
WHAT IS DIABETES DIABETES?
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the body cannot effectively use the insulin produced.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that enables cells to take up glucose from the blood and use it for energy. Deficiency in insulin production, insulin action, or both leads to elevated blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia).
There are two primary forms of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes: people with type 1 diabetes produce very little or no insulin and need insulin injections to survive. It is the most common type in children and young adults.
Type 2 diabetes: people with type 2 diabetes cannot use insulin effectively. They can only manage their condition with lifestyle measures—oral medications and, less commonly, insulin are often required.
Both types of diabetes are equally severe. A third type appears in some cases during pregnancy but usually subsides eventually.
COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES
Diabetes is a chronic, lifelong condition that requires careful control. Without proper treatment, it can lead to hyperglycemia, associated with long-term damage to the body and the failure of various organs and tissues. Short-term and long-term complications of diabetes include the following:
Cardiovascular disease
Diseases of the circulatory system, including diseases affecting the heart and circulatory system. The most common manifestations of cardiovascular disease include angina, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in diabetics and the first cause of death in industrialized countries.
Nephropathy (diabetic nephropathy)
It is a result of the increasing amount of protein in the urine, which progresses slowly and possibly results in kidney failure. This usually occurs many years after the initial diagnosis of diabetes and can be delayed by strict control of blood pressure and blood glucose. Diabetes has become today the most common cause of renal failure, requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation in most developed countries.
Neuropathy (diabetic neuropathy)
Damage to nerve fibers caused by diabetes. Numbness and loss of sensation in the legs are its most common indication, which is a result of nerve damage in the lower extremities. Neuropathy can sometimes cause severe pain, but is usually not noticed.
Even without symptoms, diabetic neuropathy results in a higher risk of lower limb ulcers and amputation.
Retinopathy
Damage to the blood vessels that supply the retina of the eye. The small blood vessels of the retina can be damaged by high blood sugar and high blood pressure. Diabetes is the most common cause of blindness and visual impairment in the working population of the developed world.
RISK FACTORS FOR THE APPEARANCE OF DIABETES
There are many risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
These include:
- Obesity and overweight
- Lack of exercise
- Established glucose tolerance
- High fat, low fiber diet
- Advanced age
- High blood pressure and high cholesterol
- Family history of diabetes
- History of gestational diabetes
- Ethnicity (higher rates of diabetes have been reported in Asian, Iberian, and Indigenous populations
- (USA, Canada, Australia) and African-Americans)
UNDERSTAND DIABETES: LEARN THE WARNING SIGNS
Warning signs* of diabetes include:
- Frequent diuresis
- Excessive thirst
- Increased feeling of hunger
- Sudden weight loss
- Excessive fatigue
- Lack of interest and concentration
- Vomiting and stomach pain
- Tingling or numbness in
- hands or feet
- Blurred vision
- Frequent infections
- Wounds that are slow to heal
*These may be mild or absent in people with type 2 diabetes.
PREVENTION OF DIABETES
Diabetes is not only about the patients and the health system, it is about the whole society and the responsibility to deal with it is collective.
Currently, type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. The environmental factors thought to trigger the initiation of the process that leads to the destruction of insulin-producing cells are still being researched. However, type 2 diabetes can be prevented in many cases by exercising and maintaining a normal weight, which has been confirmed by studies conducted in the US, as well as Finland and China.
In the last thirty years, there has been a rapid increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. It was found that in 1985, 30 million people worldwide had diabetes. Just over a decade later, that number had reached 300 million. Today, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), these people exceed 285 million. If measures are not taken to implement effective disease prevention and control programs, the IDF predicts that by 2030, the total number of sufferers will rise to 600 million.
For this reason, the IDF recommends the identification of all individuals who belong to high-risk groups for type 2 diabetes. This identification can be done through a simple questionnaire that will assess risk factors such as age, waist circumference, family and cardiovascular history, as well as pregnancy history. After identification, these individuals should undergo specific blood tests to determine if they have Impaired Fasting Glucose or Glucose Tolerance, as the presence of these markers would mean an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Prevention actions should target people at risk to delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Today, it has been proven that maintaining a normal body weight and implementing a moderate physical activity program can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. The IDF recommends at least 30 minutes of daily exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, cycling, or dancing. Regular walking for at least 30 minutes a day, for example, has been shown to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 35-40%.
DIABETES EDUCATION
Diabetes is a difficult condition that has lifelong demands on patients and their families. People with diabetes need to control their blood sugar, take medication, exercise regularly, and be able to adjust their eating habits according to their condition.
In addition, they may also have to deal with issues related to the complications of the disease, which has significant psychological implications. Given that the course of their health depends largely on the decisions they make, it is of the utmost importance that people with diabetes receive ongoing education that is individualized to each individual’s unique needs and provided by competent and experienced healthcare professionals.
Without education, people with diabetes will be less prepared to make good decisions, make behavioral changes, deal with the psychological issues that arise from diabetes, and ultimately, may not be well equipped to effectively manage the disease. Their. Incorrect management will lead to a poor outcome and an increased chance of complications. Consequently, education is also of utmost importance to prevent complications from diabetes, and it is the central point of reference for the World Diabetes Day campaign.
In addition, the role of the educator is vital in this effort, as it is instrumental in helping people with diabetes understand how to manage their condition as best they can so that their choices and actions are based on good judgment.
Mediterranean diet
Important large population studies have already for years documented the very favorable effects of the Mediterranean diet. The term “Mediterranean diet” is used to describe the set of dietary habits of various countries of the Mediterranean basin in the early 1960s (Greece, Italy, Spain, France).
The traditional Mediterranean Diet (MD) has the following eight main characteristics:
- A high proportion of monounsaturated fat (olive oil)
- to saturated
- Moderate alcohol consumption
- High consumption of legumes
- High consumption of cereals
- Lots of fruit
- Plenty of vegetables
- Limited consumption of red meat
- Moderate consumption of dairy products
People who faithfully follow a diet with the above characteristics show in studies low mortality rates and increased life expectancy. A large number of observational and interventional epidemiologic studies associate MD adoption with a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, obesity, depression, Alzheimer-type cognitive impairment, and certain forms of malignancy.
The cardioprotective effect of MD was confirmed in the Nurses’ Health Study, where 74.886 nurses aged 38-63 years were followed prospectively for twenty years. Women in the top quintile of MD compliance had the lowest risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular death.
In obesity, dietary regimens that mimic MD seem to lead to greater weight loss and better regulation of metabolic parameters compared to standard low-fat diets, which are usually more difficult to implement. In addition, MD adoption is associated with a lower prevalence of abdominal obesity (smaller waist circumference), as shown by data in large European populations. It finally seems that the specificity of MD is not limited to the simple summation of the beneficial actions of its individual components but consists of the ideal combination and synergistic interaction of the various foods, resulting in the maximization of the clinical benefit.
Another important factor is physical activity. This helps significantly in preventing diabetes, maintaining lost body weight in obese dieters, and improving blood sugar in people with diabetes. In addition, physical exercise contributes to controlling hypertension, improving hyperlipidemia and quality of life. Large studies have shown that what is important for health is systematic increased physical activity and not too intense exercise.
In recent years, great emphasis has also been placed on other factors. Indicatively, in principle, the role of adequate sleep duration is mentioned. People who don’t get enough sleep have a relatively high chance of developing diabetes in the future. Another parameter that has an adverse effect is smoking. Diabetic people who smoke more often have cardiovascular diseases and damage to the small vessels (kidney disease and eye damage).
Recently, moreover, a large American study was published showing that air pollution is an additional factor responsible for increasing the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
It is therefore understandable that intervention in the population to change lifestyle is absolutely necessary to prevent diabetes. This especially applies to those who, by definition, have a high relative risk due to heredity, obesity, hypertension, smoking, etc.
The Therapis General Hospital on the occasion of World Diabetes Day offers you the package Preventive control of Diabetes Mellitus (Sugar, Glycosylated Hemoglobin & Pathological Assessment) at the preferential price of €18.
Book your appointment today at 210 729 1111 or by filling out the form you will find HERE.
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