The Editor speaks: Diabetes

World Diabetes Day was last Thursday
14th.
We published articles then and even
today.
Why?
Because I believe that everyone of you
know someone with diabetes, even if you aren't aware of it.
29.1 million people in the United
States have diabetes, but 8.1 million may be undiagnosed and unaware
of their condition. About 1.4 million new cases of diabetes are
diagnosed in United States every year. More than one in every 10
adults who are 20 years or older has diabetes. - Feb 27, 2017.
In 2017 8.8% of the world's population
are known to have diabetes and it is projected that this figure will
rise to 9.9% 2045.
For 2019 approximately 463 million
adults (20-79 years) were living with diabetes.
China and India have the highest total
numbers of people with diabetes (110 million and 69 million
respectively), but not the highest prevalences, with China 78th in
the world on around 10% prevalence and India 76th with around 9%. The
10 nations with the lowest estimated rates of diabetes globally are
all in Africa.
What about here in the Caribbean?
In the article we have published today
“OECS Commission Celebrates Diabetes Day” is states “The burden
of chronic diseases, particularly diabetes, is increasing among the
OECS Member States, with an estimated 1 in every 4 persons over the
age of 40 being affected”.
Now that figure is staggering. Worse,
it states 'it is predicted that this figure will continue to increase
in the region”.
Our second article focuses on the USA
and how expensive the medication is.
It is true that prevention is better
than cure.
Healthline website provides us with 13
ways to prevent diabetes (Type2)
Cut Sugar and Refined Carbs From Your
Diet
Work Out
Regularly
Drink Water as Your Primary Beverage
Lose Weight If You're Overweight or
Obese
Quit Smoking
Follow a Very-Low-Carb Diet
Watch Portion Sizes
Avoid Sedentary Behaviors [If you get
no or very little physical activity, and you sit during most of your
day, then you lead a sedentary lifestyle.]
Eat a High-Fiber Diet
Optimize Vitamin D Levels
Minimize Your Intake of Processed Foods
Drink Coffee or Tea
Consider Taking These Natural Herbs
[Curcumin, Berberine]
SOURCE:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/prevent-diabetes#section13
The above was for Type 2 diabetes.
There is also Type 1.
The differences:
Overview
There are two main types of diabetes:
type 1 and type 2. Both types of diabetes are chronic diseases that
affect the way your body regulates blood sugar, or glucose. Glucose
is the fuel that feeds your body’s cells, but to enter your cells
it needs a key. Insulin is that key.
People with type 1 diabetes don’t
produce insulin. You can think of it as not having a key.
People with type 2 diabetes don’t
respond to insulin as well as they should and later in the disease
often don’t make enough insulin. You can think of this as having a
broken key.
Both types of diabetes can lead to
chronically high blood sugar levels. That increases the risk of
diabetes complications.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
Both types of diabetes, if not
controlled, share many similar symptoms, including:
frequent urination
feeling very thirsty and drinking a lot
feeling very hungry
feeling very fatigued
blurry vision
cuts or sores that don’t heal
properly
People with type 1 diabetes may also
experience irritability and mood changes, and unintentionally lose
weight. People with type 2 diabetes may also have numbness and
tingling in their hands or feet.
Although many of the symptoms of type 1
and type 2 diabetes are similar, they present in very different ways.
Many people with type 2 diabetes won’t have symptoms for many
years. Then often the symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop slowly over
the course of time. Some people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms
at all and don’t discover their condition until complications
develop.
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes develop
fast, typically over the course of several weeks. Type 1 diabetes,
which was once known as juvenile diabetes, usually develops in
childhood or adolescence. But it’s possible to get type 1 diabetes
later in life.
SOURCE:
https://www.healthline.com/health/difference-between-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes#symptoms
I believe all the above explains why we
have published so many articles on diabetes.
As a final kicker: (It can kill you)
Diabetes can lead to serious
complications which can affect many different parts of your body. In
the worst cases, diabetes can kill you. Each week diabetes causes
thousands of complications like stroke, amputation, kidney failure,
heart attack and heart failure.
Published November 19, 2019
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