Sweet Trap: Decoding the Hidden Crisis of Diabetes

Science expert: Li Danchan

Unit: Public Health Department, Dengfeng Street Community Health Service Center, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

[Shocking! A cup of milk tea turns a 28-year-old guy's blood into "syrup"] "Life-extending milk tea" is stealing the health of 130 million Chinese people! Xiao Mo, a 28-year-old designer, drinks a cup of milk tea every day until one day: he was extremely thirsty but lost 10 pounds, and his fasting blood sugar soared to 9.8mmol/L (60% above the standard!) He was diagnosed with diabetes and was permanently wearing "blood sugar shackles".

This is not an isolated case! Every 10 seconds, one person dies from diabetes worldwide. One in eight adults in China is in the pre-diabetes stage, and 50% of patients have already suffered organ damage when diagnosed!

Do you have any questions: What exactly is diabetes? Why do people get diabetes? What are the dangers of diabetes? What should I do if I have diabetes?

1. Diabetes: Not just a disease, but also a "metabolic rebellion"

Diabetes is a common chronic metabolic disease with more than 537 million patients worldwide (2021 data). It is not simply "high blood sugar", but a systemic disease that requires long-term management.

When the human body cannot effectively use or produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar), resulting in blood sugar levels being higher than the normal range for a long time (≥7.0mmol/L when fasting, ≥11.1mmol/L 2 hours after a meal), it can be diagnosed as diabetes. ≥6.1mmol/L) but <7.0mmol/L is impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Diabetes can be divided into four types: type 1, type 2, other special types, and gestational diabetes.

1. The body’s “sugar steward” goes on strike

Imagine that every bite of rice and every piece of cake you eat will be broken down into glucose and enter the blood. At this time, the pancreas will send out the "courier" insulin to deliver sugar into the cells as energy. But the situation of diabetic patients is:

Type 1 diabetes: The immune system "accidentally kills" the beta cells that produce insulin (like a factory being blown up).

Type 2 diabetes: Cells turn a deaf ear to insulin, and blood sugar accumulates in the blood vessels, causing a disaster (the key cannot fit into the lock).

2. The price of sweetness: damage to all organs

High blood sugar is like fruit soaked in sugar water. It looks intact on the outside, but has already gone rotten on the inside:

Blood vessels : Sugar makes blood vessels brittle and narrow, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Eyes : Leakage in the retinal capillaries, diabetic retinopathy, which may cause blindness.

Nerves : Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, and even festering wounds without any feeling.

Kidneys : Kidneys are the "sewerage factory" that cleans the blood. If the filtration system collapses, dialysis will eventually be required.

2. Invisible crisis: These signals may be ignored every day

The most terrifying thing about diabetes is that it is like a "silent assassin". In the early stages, it causes almost no pain or itching. But the body has already sent out a distress signal:

Feeling sleepy after meals : Blood sugar soars after a meal and the brain lacks oxygen, causing drowsiness.

Darkening of the skin : Velvety dark spots (acanthosis nigricans) appear on the neck and underarms, indicating insulin resistance.

Wounds are difficult to heal : High blood sugar damages the immune system, and small wounds may not heal for a month.

Frequent urination at night : The kidneys are desperately trying to excrete sugar, like a leaky sieve.

Hidden signs : blurred vision, numbness in the hands and feet, recurrent infections (such as urinary tract infections, itchy skin).

Typical symptoms : drinking more, eating more, urinating more, and weight loss ("three mores and one less").

Note : About 50% of patients with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms in the early stages, and elevated blood sugar levels found during a physical examination are an important clue!

Self-test for high-risk groups: How close are you to the “sweet trap”?

1. Age ≥ 40 years old.

2. BMI ≥ 24 kg/ m 2 and/or central obesity (waist circumference ≥ 90 cm for men and ≥ 85 cm for women).

3. Sitting for more than 6 hours a day and insufficient physical activity .

4. An immediate family member has diabetes.

5. Those who have hypertension or are receiving antihypertensive treatment ; those who have hyperlipidemia or are receiving lipid-lowering treatment .

6. Those with a history of impaired glucose tolerance and/or impaired fasting blood glucose.

7. Women with a history of giving birth to a macrosomia, gestational diabetes, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

8. Patients with a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and acanthosis nigricans.

If you have one or more of the above symptoms, diabetes may have "targeted" you! Please go to the hospital for diabetes screening immediately!

3. The key to breaking the deadlock: Control the "five carriages" well! 01
1. Control your diet: The diet for diabetes is not simply about eating less, but a scientific and reasonable diet.

(1) Cultivate awareness of dietary therapy, pay attention to the glycemic index (GI), low salt, low fat, high fiber, balanced combination, and diversified food types.

Modification of staple food: Replace white rice with whole grain rice (oats, quinoa, black rice), and the rate of blood sugar rise will drop by 50%.

Eating order: eat vegetables first → eat meat → eat staple food last, blood sugar will be more stable after meals.

(2) Fixed time and fixed amount. Eat at least three meals a day at regular times and fixed amounts, and maintain a regular lifestyle.

(3) Develop the habit of reading food ingredient labels and give priority to foods that are high in fiber, low in added sugar, low in sodium, and contain healthy fats (such as unsaturated fats).

(4) Eat lighter meals and consume less than 5 grams of salt per day.

(5) In principle, avoid drinking alcohol and eat less snacks. If you drink alcohol, adults should not drink more than 15g of alcohol a day. For snacks, you can replace cake with a handful of nuts and milk tea with sugar-free yogurt.

(6) Chew slowly. A meal should take about 30 minutes to finish.

(7) Keep measuring your weight. A 5%-10% weight loss can significantly improve metabolic indicators such as blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood lipids.

2. Get moving: Develop the habit of exercising to control blood sugar levels.

The principles of exercise are moderation, regularity and individualization. Choose appropriate and sustainable exercise based on your physical fitness.

About 2/3 of diabetic patients have decreased bone density, and nearly 1/3 of them can be diagnosed with osteoporosis. Diabetic patients should pay attention to preventing fractures when exercising.

3. Don’t forget to take medicine: Take oral hypoglycemic drugs or inject insulin according to the doctor’s instructions, and do not stop taking the medicine at will.

4. Frequent monitoring: Your body needs a "blood sugar weather forecast"

(1) It is recommended that high-risk groups measure their fasting blood sugar at least once a year; use a home blood glucose meter to regularly measure blood sugar 2 hours after a meal (should be <7.8mmol/L). This indicator can warn of risks earlier than fasting blood sugar.

(2) Diabetic patients: The frequency is adjusted according to the condition (such as fasting, 2 hours after a meal, and before bedtime). Community health service centers provide 4 free fasting blood sugar monitoring and face-to-face visits and 1 health check-up per year.

Patients with well-controlled or stable blood sugar should be monitored one or two days per week. Patients with well-controlled and stable blood sugar may need to be monitored less frequently.

Patients with poor/unstable blood sugar control or other acute illnesses should monitor blood sugar daily until it is controlled.

High-risk groups can measure glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) once a year, and diabetic patients can measure it every 3-6 months. It is like a "blood sugar recorder" that can reflect the average blood sugar level for 3 months.

5. Psychological and lifestyle support

Psychological adjustment : accept the disease, avoid anxiety or self-blame; join the patient mutual assistance

group, and seek family support.

Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption : Smoking accelerates blood vessel damage and alcohol interferes with blood sugar control.

Foot care : Wear loose and breathable shoes and socks, and deal with corns, ulcers, etc. in a timely manner.

Oral hygiene : Diabetic patients are prone to periodontal disease and require regular oral examinations.

The real sweetness is the freedom to control your health. Diabetes is not a fateful sentence, but a wake-up call. Just like what Xiao Mo said after finally giving up milk tea and falling in love with brisk walking and cycling: "It turns out that I can still enjoy life without sugar."

remember:

Prevention is always easier than cure - eat one less bite of refined sugar, take one more flight of stairs.

Pay attention to the "tiny signals" sent by your body, and don't let "sweetness" steal your future. Diabetes is preventable and controllable! Through lifestyle adjustments and standardized treatment, patients can live like healthy people. Early detection and early intervention are the key to avoiding complications. If suspected symptoms occur, please seek medical attention in time and do not take medicine on your own!

Today's Action:

Put down your phone, stand up and move for 5 minutes; replace white rice with half a bowl of brown rice for dinner - your body will thank you for this decision!

Reference sources: International Diabetes Federation 2023 Report, National Primary Diabetes Prevention and Management Guidelines (2022), Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022 Edition), and Physical Activity Guidelines for Chinese Adults (2011 Edition).

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