DIABETES PREVENTION

Starts with you

Knowing the risk of this disease and what can be done to reduce it, could save you from a life sentence

1.    STOPPING THIS SILENT KILLER

Diabetes often has no symptoms.  So it’s important that it be caught at an early stage before it develops into a full blown disease.  The blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not enough for a diagnosis of diabetes is called pre-diabetic.  Pre-diabetic can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes through lifestyle changes.  A 2001 report published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that intensive lifestyle changes involving diet and exercise resulting in weight loss lowered the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%.  The key lifestyle changes are:

·         Eat a healthy balanced diet

Aim to eat food low in fat and sugar, and high in fiber, with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

·         Lose weight if you are overweight

Getting to a perfect weight may not be realistic, but losing some weight will help reduce blood glucose level.  The more you weigh, the more insulin you need.  Pancreas is only able to make limited amount of insulin.  The less you weigh, the more efficient the insulin generated will be.

·         Perform regular physical activity

Exercise at least 3 times a week, each session lasting 30 minutes, and aim to increase your heart rate.

·         Stop smoking

Smoking increase your diabetes by 50%.  Smoking damages blood vessels, making it harder for your body to heal, increasing the risk of infections and amputation.

2.    THE DIABETES-HEART DISEASE CONNECTION

Diabetes and cardiovascular disease go hand-in-hand.  Diabetes can damage the blood vessels, including the arteries that supply blood to the brain and heart.  This makes it easier for fatty deposits (plaque) to form in the arteries (atherosclerosis), reducing blood circulation and driving up blood pressure.

Nerve damage caused by uncontrolled diabetes doesn’t produce the typical pain of a heart attack.  Sufferers may not feel touch, vibration, heat or cold on extremities (hand and feet).  People with diabetes often have high blood pressure, which can cause abnormalities in the small blood vessels of the brain leading to stroke.

3.    DO YOU HAVE TYPE 2 DIABETES?

Some have no symptoms.  Here are some signs you should look out for:

·         Increased production of urine and excessive thirst (glucose leaks into urine and pulls out extra water through the kidneys)

·         Fatigue for no apparent reason (glucose is not converted into energy)

·         Infection such as thrush or irritation of the genitals (excessive sugar in the urine encourages infections)

·         Blurred or distorted vision (high sugar levels interfere with oxygen delivery to cells in the retina, thus damaging it)

·         Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet (over time, uncontrolled blood sugar levels can damage nerves throughout the body)

·         Slow-healing sores (diabetes affects the body’s ability to heal)

·         Unexplained weight gain or loss ( to compensate for lost fluids and sugar, you eat more than usual and gain weight; or you lose weight because your muscle tissues don’t get enough glucose to generate growth)

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By Wan Ker-Hsin

Live Healthy

Shape, November 2007