World Diabetes -14th November

World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on 14th November.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that results in raised blood sugar/glucose levels. Blood sugar levels are regulated by Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. In diabetes, Insulin is either not produced in adequate amounts or the insulin produced is not used effectively.

Prolonged exposure of the body’s organs to this environment results in often fatal complications involving the kidneys, heart, eyes, blood vessels and nerves.

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world today and is placed among the top four non communicable diseases along with cardiovascular (heart) disease, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.

A diagnosis of diabetes is made when the fasting blood glucose level is ≥ 7 mmol/l.

Types of Diabetes

1. Type 1 Diabetes – there is deficient production of insulin.

2. Type 2 Diabetes – the body ineffectively uses the insulin produced. Accounts for >90% of all diabetes cases.

3. Prediabetes – impaired fasting blood glucose levels of 6.0 mmol/l to < 7 mmol/l. Action can be taken to prevent progression to Type 2 diabetes.

4. Gestational Diabetes – blood glucose levels are above normal but below those diagnostic of diabetes during pregnancy. These women and their children are at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.

 

What are the Risk Factors?  

1. Being obese /overweight – this is especially dangerous if the fat is concentrated around ones mid-section.

2. Sedentary lifestyle – a minimum of 30 min of moderate exercise 3 or more days a week

3. Age  – increased risk above 40 years

4. Family history of diabetes

5. Race – increased in Africans & Asians

How is Diabetes Treated?

Positive lifestyle changes can not only reduce diabetes symptoms, but also reverse some types of diabetes. The lifestyle changes entail eating healthier, physically active, losing weight and avoiding tobacco use.

That said, a majority of diabetics still require daily oral or inject-able medication to keep their sugar levels within normal range.

Diabetes Facts

• There are 422 million people living with diabetes in the world today with more than half being in low & middle income countries.

• In 2016, an estimated 1.6 million deaths globally were directly caused by diabetes.

• In 2015, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimated the diabetes prevalence for Kenya to be 2.2%.

• An estimated 2/3 of diabetics remain undiagnosed.

• Diabetes is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease, lower-limb amputations and adult-onset blindness.

World Diabetes Day serves to remind everyone of their part in the fight against Diabetes – both individually and as a community. Your part is to share the knowledge, reduce your risk and get your blood sugar checked regularly.

Have a Diabetes Aware day 🙂