How much do you know about the “five pillars” of diabetes treatment?

Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar. The formation of the disease is related to mental factors, obesity, long-term excessive intake, genetic factors, etc. Long-term high blood sugar can lead to chronic damage and dysfunction of various tissues and organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, heart, blood vessels, and nerves.

In the long-term fight against diabetes, we have gained a lot of experience and success. The "five horses" are the key to treatment, which are diet therapy, exercise therapy, drug therapy, blood sugar monitoring and diabetes education. So, how much do you know about these "five horses"? How do they work? Let's learn about them together.

1. Diet therapy

As the saying goes, "food is the first necessity of the people." As long as people are alive, they must eat, so dietary therapy is the basis of diabetes treatment. A reasonable diet can help patients control blood sugar, lose weight, and prevent complications.

For diabetic patients, the principles of dietary treatment include: (1) Controlling total calories. Patients need to accurately calculate the total calories they need each day based on their age, gender, height, weight, physical activity level and other factors. This ensures that the body maintains normal physiological functions while not causing blood sugar to rise due to excess calories. According to the recommended indicators of the Chinese Nutrition Society, the daily calorie requirement for adult males in my country is 2250-3000 kcal, and for adult females it is 1800-2400 kcal. Diabetic patients can adjust their total calorie intake appropriately according to their actual situation. (2) Balanced diet. Cereals should account for 50%-60% of the total calories in the diet of diabetic patients. These foods rich in dietary fiber are relatively slow to digest and absorb, and help stabilize blood sugar. Vegetables and fruits should account for 30%-40% of the total calories. Green leafy vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, low in calories and rich in nutrients. Fruits can be low-sugar fruits such as apples and grapefruits, and should be eaten between meals. Milk, beans, meat, fish, eggs and other foods should account for 10%-20% of the total calories to ensure the body's protein needs. (3) Eat at regular times and regular amounts. Diabetic patients should develop regular eating habits, eat at regular times every day, and eat a relatively fixed amount at each meal. Avoiding overeating will help stabilize blood sugar levels. If you need to add a snack, you can add it appropriately between meals and choose some low-sugar, high-fiber foods, such as nuts, sugar-free yogurt, etc.

2. Exercise therapy

As the saying goes, "life lies in exercise." Exercise therapy in the treatment of diabetes can, on the one hand, enhance the body's sensitivity to insulin, enable cells to better utilize glucose, and thereby lower blood sugar levels; on the other hand, it can help patients control their weight, reduce fat accumulation, and reduce the risk of complications such as cardiovascular disease.

For diabetic patients, the principles of exercise therapy include: (1) moderate exercise. Patients can choose moderate intensity aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling. They should exercise 3-5 times a week for 30-60 minutes each time. They should warm up properly before exercise and relax properly after exercise. (2) Perseverance. Patients should make an exercise plan based on their actual situation and strictly implement it. If they cannot exercise for special reasons, they should adjust their exercise plan in time to avoid long periods of inactivity. (3) It varies from person to person. Patients should choose the exercise method and intensity that suits them based on their age, gender, physical condition, and illness. For example, older and weaker patients can choose walking, Tai Chi, and other exercise methods, and the exercise intensity should be relatively low; younger and better patients can choose jogging, swimming, cycling, and other exercise methods, and the exercise intensity should be relatively high.

3. Drug treatment

With the development of science and technology, a variety of drugs with strong targeting, good effects and few side effects have been developed. Diabetes is a complex chronic disease whose causes require patients to use drugs for a long time. Reasonable drug treatment can help patients control blood sugar and prevent complications.

For diabetic patients, the principles of drug treatment include: (1) Individualized treatment. Diabetes is a complex chronic disease. Doctors will develop personalized treatment plans based on the patient's age, gender, physical condition, and condition to achieve the best treatment effect. (2) Combination medication. The condition of diabetic patients is often complicated, and a single drug treatment is often difficult to achieve the ideal treatment effect. Therefore, doctors may use two or more drugs in combination for treatment based on the patient's condition. Patients should understand the purpose and precautions of combined medication and strictly follow the doctor's instructions. (3) Take medication according to the doctor's instructions. During the medication process, diabetic patients should strictly follow the doctor's instructions and not increase or decrease the dosage of the drug or stop taking the drug on their own to avoid causing excessive fluctuations in blood sugar, aggravating the condition or causing adverse reactions such as hypoglycemia. If adverse drug reactions occur, such as hypoglycemia, gastrointestinal reactions, allergic reactions, etc., inform the doctor in time so that the treatment plan can be adjusted.

4. Blood Glucose Monitoring

This is an essential step for patients with chronic diseases. It can intuitively display the patient's physical condition, allowing patients and doctors to understand changes in blood sugar in a timely manner in order to adjust treatment plans.

For diabetic patients, the principles of blood glucose monitoring include: (1) Regular monitoring. Generally speaking, patients should monitor fasting blood glucose and blood glucose 2 hours after meals every day, and monitor glycated hemoglobin once a week. This allows patients to intuitively grasp the fluctuation range of blood glucose. However, in fact, the frequency of blood glucose monitoring varies from patient to patient. For example, patients with unstable conditions may need to monitor blood glucose several times a day; while patients with stable conditions can reduce the number of monitoring times appropriately. (2) Comprehensive monitoring. Blood glucose monitoring of diabetic patients should be comprehensive. In addition to the fasting blood glucose, blood glucose 2 hours after meals, glycated hemoglobin and other indicators just mentioned, patients should also monitor blood pressure, blood lipids, body weight and other indicators. (3) Accurate monitoring. Patients should choose regular blood glucose meters and blood glucose test strips, and operate them according to the requirements of the instructions. At the same time, pay attention to the calibration and maintenance of the blood glucose meter to ensure the normal use of the blood glucose meter.

5. Diabetes Education

Although diabetes is a common disease, many people still do not know enough about it, which leads to the deterioration of controllable diseases. Therefore, we need to carry out diabetes education to help patients gain a deeper understanding of the causes, symptoms, development process and possible complications of diabetes. Only by having a clearer understanding of their own disease can they increase their attention to treatment.

For diabetic patients, the principles of diabetes education include: (1) full-course education. Diabetes education should be provided from the moment the patient is diagnosed with diabetes. Since patients have different educational needs at different stages of diabetes treatment, doctors should provide targeted education based on the patient's actual situation. (2) Individualized education. Diabetes patients have different conditions and educational needs. Doctors should develop personalized education plans based on the patient's age, gender, physical condition, and condition. Patients should actively participate in diabetes education, understand their condition and treatment plan, and improve their self-management ability. (3) Multi-form education. Diabetes education should adopt a variety of forms, such as lectures, consultations, promotional materials, and online education, so that patients can choose the education form that suits them according to their actual situation. At the same time, patients can also communicate with professionals such as doctors, nurses, and nutritionists to obtain more diabetes knowledge and treatment experience.

In summary, the "five pillars" of diabetes treatment are an organic whole, and none of them can be missing. Diabetic patients should actively participate in diabetes treatment, master relevant knowledge about diabetes, improve self-management ability, control blood sugar, prevent complications, and improve the quality of life. At the same time, all sectors of society should also strengthen the publicity and education of diabetes, improve the public's awareness and attention to diabetes, and work together to serve the health of diabetic patients.

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