Saturday, 23 May 2020

SPECIAL REPORT ON DIABETES

OVERVIEW 

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the blood sugar. Hyperglycaema, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.

In 2014, 8.5% of adults aged 18 years and older had diabetes. In 2016, diabetes was the direct cause of 1.6 million deaths and in 2012 high blood glucose was the cause of another 2.2 million deaths (Source: WHO).

TYPE 2 DIABETES

TYPE 2 DIABETES (formerly called non-insulin-dependent, or adult-onset) results from the body's ineffective use of insulin. The majority of the people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity.

Symptoms may be similar to those of type 1 diabetes, but are often less marked. As a result, the disease may be diagnosed several years after onset, after complications have already arisen.

TYPE 1 DIABETES

TYPE 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent, juvenile or childhood-onset) is characterized by deficient  insulin production and requires daily administration of insulin. Neither the cause of type 1 diabetes  nor the means to prevent it are known.

Symptoms include excessive excretion of urine (polyuria), thirst (polydipsia), constant hunger, weight loss, vision changes, and fatigue. These symptoms may occur suddenly.

GESTATIONAL DIABETES

Gestational diabetes is hyperglycemia with blood glucose values above normal but below those diagnostic diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy.

Women with gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and at delivery. These women and possibly their children also at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the future.

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed through prenatal screening, rather than through reported symptoms.

IMPAIRED GLUCOSE TOLERANCE AND IMPAIRED FASTING GLYCAEMIA

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) are intermediate conditions in the transition between normality and diabetes. People with IGT or IFG are at high risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes, although this is not inevitable.

HEALTH IMPACT

 Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, eye, kidneys, and nerves.

1.  Adults with diabetes have a two- to three-fold increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

2.  Combined with reduced blood flow, neuropathy (nerve damage) in the feet increases the chance of food ulcers, infection and eventual need for limb amputation.

3.  Diabetic retinopathy is an important cause of blindness, and occurs as z result of long-term accumulated damage to the small blood vessels in the cause of 2.6% of global blindness.

4.  Diabetes is among the leading causes of kidney failure.

PREVENTION

Simple lifestyle measures have been shown to be effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes. To help prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications, people should

1.  Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight

2.  Be physically active - doing at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate - intensive activity on most days. More activity is required for weight control.

3.  Eat a healthy diet, avoiding sugar and saturated fats; and

4.  Avoid tobacco use - smoking increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT 

Early diagnosis can be accomplished through relatively inexpensive testing of blood sugar.

Treatment of diabetes involves diet and physical activity along with lowering of blood glucose  and the levels of other known risk factors that damage blood vessels.  Tobacco use creation is also important to avoid complications.

Interventions that are both cost-saving and feasible in low- and middle-income countries include

1.  Blood glucose control, particular in type 1 diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes require insulin, people with type 2 diabetes can be treated with oral medication, but may also require insulin.

2.  Blood pressure control, and

3.  Foot care (patient self-care by maintaining foot hygiene; wearing appropriate footwear; seeking professional care for ulcer management; and regular examination of feet by health professionals).

NOTE

Replacement of processed sugar with BEENECTAR PURE HONEY and with ORGANIC HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS will help to prevent and/or manage diabetes!!!



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