"Sweet" without knowing it? Be careful of this disease! To prevent it, do these 5 things

According to the latest chronic disease

The results of risk factor monitoring showed

Guangdong Province residents aged 18 and above

1 in 10 people suffer from diabetes

Nearly half of the residents

Not paying attention to your blood sugar levels

More than two-thirds of people with diabetes

Didn't even know I had diabetes

Causes diabetes unknowingly

Causing great harm to the health of residents

November 14, 2023 is the 17th United Nations Diabetes Day. This year's theme is "Know the Risk, Know the Response".

It is important to have knowledge about diabetes

Let’s learn together~

Why do people get diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic, systemic metabolic disease caused by the long-term combined effects of genetic and behavioral factors.

Clinically, it is characterized by hyperglycemia, which is mainly due to metabolic disorders of sugar, fat, protein, etc. caused by insufficient insulin secretion or dysfunction of insulin.

Diabetes is generally divided into type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes and special types of diabetes, of which more than 90% is type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes has an insidious onset and will develop quietly without showing any obvious symptoms in the patient's body. However, if it is not detected and treated in time, diabetes will gradually lead to serious complications.

Unhealthy behaviors such as unhealthy lifestyle, unreasonable diet and unscientific exercise will increase people's risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

How to determine if you have diabetes?

We need to understand the diagnostic criteria for diabetes (see table below)

If you have symptoms such as increased drinking, increased eating, increased urination, and weight loss, and one of the above test items exceeds the standard, you need to go to a regular medical institution for further examination as soon as possible.

We strongly recommend that "healthy" people test their fasting blood sugar once a year starting at the age of 40, and people at high risk of diabetes need to pay more attention to their blood sugar levels regularly.

People who meet any of the following factors can be included in the high-risk group for diabetes:

1. Overweight and obesity (BMI ≥ 24 and/or central obesity)

2. Prediabetes patients

3. Hypertension patients

4. Dyslipidemia

5. Family history of diabetes

6. History of gestational diabetes

7. History of birth of a macrosomia (birth weight ≥ 4 kg)

How to prevent diabetes?

In many cases, a healthy diet and regular physical activity can help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improve symptoms of diabetes.

01

Maintain a healthy weight

Maintaining a normal weight is essential for preventing diabetes. The body mass index (BMI) for adults is calculated by weight/height squared (international unit kg/㎡):

The normal range is 18.5~23.9Kg/㎡

BMI between 24 and 27.9 kg/㎡ is considered overweight

BMI over 28Kg/㎡ is considered obese

In addition to excessive BMI, we should also pay attention to the problem of central obesity:

We call Chinese adult males with a waist circumference ≥ 90cm and females with a waist circumference ≥ 85cm central obesity.

Central obesity often means excessive visceral fat, which is more likely to lead to health problems such as diabetes.

It is recommended that overweight or obese people should achieve a healthy weight through diet and exercise.

02

Reasonable diet and balanced nutrition

Dietary intervention is very important for diabetics. Most diabetics must reduce their calorie intake, but they cannot ignore the intake of various essential nutrients.

Achieve "three reductions" - reduce salt, oil and sugar. You can appropriately increase the intake of non-starchy vegetables, fruits and whole grains, reduce the intake of refined grains, and appropriately increase the intake of foods rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as fish oil, some nuts and seeds);

Minimize the intake of saturated fatty acids (such as fat from animals such as cattle, sheep, and pigs, coconut oil, palm oil, etc.);

Foods rich in trans fatty acids (such as margarine and fried foods) should be strictly limited.

At the same time, the intake of protein-rich foods can also be increased appropriately. Common ones include meat, eggs, milk and dairy products, soybeans, tofu, seed vegetables, grains, nuts, etc. It is best to eat animal and plant protein foods in combination.

The diet of diabetic patients can refer to the "Chinese Diabetes Dietary Guidelines (2022)" to ensure a reasonable diet and a fixed amount of staple food (the intake varies from person to person).

03

Maintain scientific and reasonable exercise

In addition to burning off excess calories, maintaining a balance between eating and exercise, and maintaining and reducing weight, reasonable exercise can also improve cardiopulmonary function, promote blood circulation, increase energy expenditure, accelerate carbohydrate metabolism, and improve insulin resistance.

All people need to reduce their sedentary time and increase their exercise time. It is recommended to do moderate-intensity exercise for more than half an hour a day at least 5 days a week (at least 150 minutes a week) such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, etc.

Wear appropriate sports shoes and clothing when exercising, prevent hypoglycemia and falls during exercise, and proceed step by step and do what you can.

Diabetic patients should follow appropriate exercise guidance methods and make necessary adjustments in a timely manner. When blood sugar control is extremely poor and accompanied by acute complications or serious chronic complications, it is recommended to see a doctor and have a professional doctor prescribe exercise.

04

Pay attention to changes in blood sugar and take the initiative to undergo diabetes screening

Watch for possible symptoms of diabetes, such as:

Excessive thirst

Frequent urination

Unexplained weight loss

Slow wound healing

Blurred vision

Lack of energy

If you have any of these symptoms or are in a high-risk group, please go to a regular medical institution for diabetes screening.

Guangdong Province is carrying out the "Know Your Blood Sugar" diabetes screening campaign, and many regions and public places have also set up "self-service testing points" to provide free blood sugar testing and screening services to the public.

If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you can go to your community health service center or township health center (health station) to receive follow-up management services at least 4 times a year, which will provide you with lifestyle guidance and related diabetes examinations and assessments.

05

Change your lifestyle and enjoy a happy life

Patients who already have diabetes should follow their doctor's advice to change their lifestyle.

Take measures to lower blood sugar, blood pressure, adjust blood lipids and control weight, correct bad lifestyle habits such as quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, controlling oil intake, reducing salt intake and increasing physical activity;

Carry out self-blood glucose monitoring under the guidance of professional doctors and/or nurses;

Actively treat diabetes, control the disease steadily, delay complications, and enjoy a happier life.

For people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, understanding the risks and steps to take is essential to support prevention, early diagnosis and timely treatment.

For people who already have diabetes, awareness and access to the right information, as well as the best available medicines and tools to support self-management, is critical to delaying or preventing complications.