There are more than 100 million diabetes patients in my country. There are many factors that cause and affect diabetes. You should be involved in all of them.

In recent years, the prevalence of diabetes in my country has shown a gradual upward trend. According to relevant statistics, among people over 20 years old in my country, the prevalence of diabetes in men and women is 10.6% and 8.8% respectively. According to statistics in 2019, the number of people with diabetes in my country is about 116 million, and China is the country with the largest number of diabetes patients in the world. Unfortunately, the number of diabetes patients in my country is still increasing. It is estimated that by 2014, the number of diabetes patients in my country will reach 151 million, that is, one in every 10 people will suffer from diabetes.

Diabetes itself is not harmful. As long as blood sugar is well controlled, there will generally be no major problems. If blood sugar is not well controlled and remains high for a long time, it will cause serious complications, such as diabetic eye disease leading to blindness, diabetic foot, diabetic kidney disease, etc.

Why are there so many diabetes patients in my country? How can we prevent diabetes? Let's learn together.

What is diabetes? Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic diseases caused by multiple causes and characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. It is caused by defects in insulin secretion and (or) action. Long-term metabolic disorders of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins can cause damage to multiple systems, organs, and tissues, leading to chronic progressive lesions, functional impairment, and failure of tissues and organs such as the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels. In severe cases or under stress, acute and severe metabolic disorders such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome may occur, which are life-threatening.

Traditional Chinese medicine has known about diabetes, which belongs to the category of "diabetes mellitus". It was discussed in the "Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic" as early as the 2nd century BC.

Diabetes is currently classified into type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and other types of diabetes based on its clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, and understanding of its etiology. As our understanding of the nature of diabetes deepens, the classification of diabetes may be modified, so the above classification is only temporary and is based on existing knowledge.

Type 1 diabetes

It is mainly caused by the destruction of pancreatic β cells, leading to absolute insulin deficiency. It is more common in adolescents and is closely related to genetics.

Type 2 diabetes

Currently, 90% of diabetes is type 2 diabetes, which progresses from insulin resistance with progressive insulin deficiency to progressive insulin deficiency with insulin resistance.

Gestational diabetes

It refers to different degrees of abnormal glucose metabolism that occurs during pregnancy, and does not include those who have been diagnosed with diabetes before pregnancy, the latter of which is called diabetes complicated by pregnancy.

Other types of diabetes

Abnormal blood sugar caused by viral infection, endocrine disease, drug use, etc.

Causes of diabetes The causes and pathogenesis of diabetes are extremely complex and have not yet been fully elucidated. The causes of different types of diabetes are different, and even the same type of diabetes has heterogeneity. In general, diabetes is the result of the interaction between genetic and environmental factors.

Genetic factors

Among identical twins, the prevalence of type 1 diabetes is 30%-40%, so genetic factors play an important role in type 1 diabetes; type 2 diabetes also has a certain genetic tendency, and if the parents have diabetes, the risk of diabetes in the children will increase. In addition to genetic factors, type 1 diabetes is also related to factors such as viral infection, the use of certain chemical drugs, and abnormal autoimmune function.

Environmental factors

Among the causes of type 2 diabetes, environmental factors are considered to play an absolutely major role, including aging, changes in modern lifestyle, overnutrition, lack of physical activity, emergency situations, etc.

Risk factors for diabetes Any disease has its risk factors. Our prevention mainly starts with risk factors. Eliminating risk factors can effectively prevent a disease. Risk factors for diabetes include obesity, negative emotions, long periods of sitting, and staying up late.

obesity

Among patients with type 2 diabetes, more than 60% are obese. The normal range of body mass index (BMI) is 18.5-23.9. A value of more than 24 is considered overweight, and a value of more than 28 is considered obese. The probability of obese patients suffering from diabetes is 2-3 times that of those with normal weight. The higher the BMI value, the higher the risk of diabetes, especially for patients with abdominal obesity, who have a higher chance of suffering from diabetes.

Negative emotions

Scientific research shows that long-term high emotional tension and excessive psychological pressure can easily lead to diabetes. Because when the human body is in a state of high emotional tension, the secretion of hormones such as adrenaline and glucocorticoids will increase, and these hormones will counteract insulin, causing insulin to not work properly, and continue to increase blood sugar levels. Modern epidemiological studies have also confirmed this. People with negative emotions such as introverted personalities and bad tempers are more likely to suffer from diabetes.

Being sedentary

Due to the changes in people's lifestyle and work style, it is very common to sit for a long time. According to relevant survey data, people now sit for an average of more than 8 hours a day, and the longest time can be up to 12 hours. Long-term sitting and lack of exercise can lead to obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Because of too little exercise, the body's energy cannot be consumed in time, resulting in energy accumulation, making it more likely to develop insulin resistance, so it is more likely to develop diabetes.

stay up

Staying up late for a long time can lead to many health problems. People may have a certain understanding and knowledge that staying up late can damage the liver, but staying up late for a long time can lead to many diseases, such as diabetes. The old saying goes, "Work at sunrise and rest at sunset", which contains extensive health wisdom. We adults need 8-9 hours of sleep a day. Data surveys show that people who sleep less than 5 hours a day are 2.5 times more likely to develop diabetes than people with normal sleep. Staying up late for a long time will affect the secretion of melatonin, and melatonin can inhibit the action of insulin. Therefore, the more people stay up late, the more excited their insulin secretion is, the more likely they are to cause metabolic disorders, thereby increasing the probability of diabetes.

Why do so many Chinese people suffer from diabetes? There are hundreds of millions of diabetes patients in China, but in terms of the prevalence of diabetes in the whole population, the prevalence of diabetes in Europe and the United States is several times higher than that in China. At present, the living standards in our country have improved, people eat well and play well, and diabetes is a "rich disease", so the prevalence of diabetes has increased. In addition, as people's pace of life and work has accelerated, the proportion of people who lack exercise for a long time and stay up late for a long time is increasing, which will lead to the occurrence and development of diabetes. The current situation of diabetes prevention and treatment in our country presents a "three lows" trend, namely, low awareness of diabetes knowledge, low treatment rate after diabetes, and low blood sugar control rate, all of which affect the prevention and treatment of diabetes.

In summary, diabetes is a chronic progressive disease. If blood sugar is not well controlled, it will cause very serious health problems, such as blindness, amputation, kidney failure, etc. Among the many factors affecting diabetes, diet and work and rest are the most important. To prevent diabetes, we need to adjust our diet structure, such as eating more coarse grains and eating small meals frequently; adjust our work and rest, such as avoiding unnecessary staying up late and maintaining a moderate amount of exercise, etc. Only in this way can our bodies be healthier.

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