Health
By Dr Pankaj Kshatriya, MD (Internal Medicine Specialist)
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease characterized by a high blood sugar level, due to defect in insulin secretion or action or both. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin lowers the blood sugar level.
Diabetes is the third leading cause of death after heart attack and cancer.
What is the impact of diabetes?
Diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, muscle damage, etc. Diabetes also accelerates the hardening and narrowing of arteries leading to stroke and heart attacks.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
– Burning in palm and feet, numbness
sensation
– Increased urinary frequency
– Increased thirst
– Dehydration
– Weight loss despite an increase in
appetite
– Fatigue, tiredness
– Muscle cramps
– Delay in wound healing
– Blurring of vision
How is diabetes diagnosed?
The preferred way to diagnose diabetes is by testing the blood sugar level after an overnight fast. The normal fasting blood-sugar level is less than 100 mg%. When this level is above 100mg% in the range of 100–126 mg% this is known as impaired fasting glucose.
The oral glucose tolerance test is the standard test for making the diagnosis of diabetes.
Types of diabetes
There are two major types of diabetes:
Type 1 Diabetes – It is also known as insulin dependant diabetes. In this condition, the pancreas is incapable of making adequate insulin to control the blood sugar level.
Type 2 Diabetes – This is also known as non-insulin dependant diabetes, or adult onset diabetes. In this the pancreas produces insulin, but not sufficiently to meet the body’s needs.
Risk factors for developing diabetes
Genetics: People with close relatives with diabetes have a high risk of developing diabetes.
Birth weight: There is relationship between birth weight and diabetes. The lower the birth weight, the higher the risk of developing diabetes.
Obesity: Obesity is a high risk factor for developing diabetes. Obesity increases the body’s resistance to insulin.
Irregular menses: There is relation between the length of time between menstruation and the risk of developing diabetes. The risk is high in obese women. Some diseases which disturb the normal menstrual cycle, like polycystic ovarian disease, are known to be a risk factor for diabetes.
Impaired fasting blood sugar value: Those people who have a fasting blood sugar value greater than 126–130 mg% have an increased risk of developing diabetes.
Gestation diabetes (high blood sugar value during pregnancy): is a risk factor for developing diabetes later in life. The risk of diabetes is high in women who have high blood sugar values during pregnancy.
Certain dietary patterns: Diets high in red meat, processed meat, high fat dairy products and sweets are associated with an increased risk of diabetes.
Sugar: Sugar consumption alone has not been associated with the development of diabetes. There is, of course, weight gain associated with sugar consumption.
Smoking: Smoking more than fifteen to twenty cigarettes a day increases the risk of developing diabetes, as compared to non-smokers. Smoking directly decreases the body’s ability to utilize insulin. It has been observed that after smoking, blood sugar levels increase.
Preventing the onset of diabetes
One of the most important factors in the development of diabetes is genetics, which we have no control over. However there are certain measures we can take to lower our risk of developing diabetes.
Exercise
Exercise increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin. By increasing exercise, the body uses more insulin to control blood sugar. Exercise also benefits persons with impaired blood sugar values. Those who exercise, therefore, have a lower rate of developing diabetes and lesser rate of progression of its complications.
Weight loss
In patients who are at risk of developing diabetes, weight loss improves insulin sensitivity, and delays and even prevents the development of diabetes and its complications. In patients with diabetes, weight loss plays a tremendous role in blood sugar control.
Smoking
All smokers who are at risk of developing diabetes should stop smoking.
Nuts
The consumption of nuts has a protective effect against the development of diabetes. Five one ounce servings of nuts a week lower the risk of developing diabetes.
Lifestyle
Certain risk factors like age, family history and ethnicity cannot be altered. But a change in lifestyle such as a healthier diet and increased physical activity help to reduce the risk.
If you have high blood pressure, are obese or smoke or use alcohol, you can help lower your risk by modifying your lifestyle.
By changes in lifestyle and diet, people at high risk of developing diabetes can reduce their risk by more than 50%.