important facts

• The number of people with diabetes increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. Prevalence is rising faster in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.
• Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes and lower limb amputations.
• Between 2000 and 2019, deaths from diabetes increased by 3%.
• Diabetes and kidney disease caused by diabetes killed an estimated 2 million people in 2019.
• Eating a healthy diet, being physically active, maintaining a normal weight, and avoiding tobacco use can help prevent type 2 diabetes or delay its onset.
• Diabetes can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed by paying attention to diet, physical activity, taking medications, and regularly screening and diagnosing complications.

Overview

Diabetes is a chronic disease. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Hyperglycemia, or elevated blood sugar, is a common consequence of out-of-control diabetes and can cause serious damage to many of the body's systems over time, especially nerves and blood vessels.

In 2014, 8.5% of adults over the age of 18 had diabetes. In 2019, diabetes was the direct cause of 1.5 million deaths, and 48% of diabetes deaths occurred before the age of 70. An additional 460,000 kidney disease deaths are caused by diabetes, and elevated blood sugar contributes to approximately 20% of cardiovascular disease deaths (1).

Between 2000 and 2019, deaths from diabetes increased by 3%. Diabetes mortality increases by 13% in low- and middle-income countries.

By comparison, the global probability of dying from any of the four main non-communicable diseases (cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease or diabetes) among people aged 30 to 70 years fell by 22% between 2000 and 2019. .

symptom

Symptoms of diabetes may occur suddenly. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes may be mild and may take many years to be noticed.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

• feeling very thirsty
• need to urinate more frequently than usual
• Blurred vision
• feel tired
• Unintentional weight loss.

Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves.

People with diabetes are at higher risk for health problems, including heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

Diabetes can damage blood vessels in the eyes, causing permanent vision loss.

Many people with diabetes develop foot problems due to nerve damage and poor blood flow. This can lead to foot ulcers and possibly amputation.

type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (formerly known as insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile-onset diabetes) is characterized by insufficient insulin secretion and requires daily insulin infusions. In 2017, there were 9 million people living with type 1 diabetes; most of these people lived in high-income countries. It is still unclear what causes type 1 diabetes and how to prevent it.

type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes affects how the body uses sugar (glucose) for energy. It prevents the body from using insulin properly and, if left untreated, can cause blood sugar to spike.

Over time, type 2 diabetes can cause severe damage to the body, especially the nerves and blood vessels.

Type 2 diabetes is often preventable. Factors that lead to developing type 2 diabetes include being overweight, not getting enough exercise, and genetics.

Early diagnosis is important to prevent the worst effects of type 2 diabetes. The best way to detect diabetes early is to go to a medical institution for regular physical examinations and blood tests.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes may be mild. It may take several years to notice. Symptoms may be similar to those of type 1 diabetes, but are often less obvious. Therefore, diagnosis may not be made until several years after the onset of symptoms and the development of complications.

More than 95% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes was formerly known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes. Until recently, this type of diabetes was only seen in adults, but now it is becoming more common in children.

gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is hyperglycemia in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but lower than diagnostic values for diabetes and occur during pregnancy.

Women with gestational diabetes are at higher risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery. These women and their children are also at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Gestational diabetes is generally diagnosed through prenatal testing rather than reported symptoms.

Impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose
Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) refer to an intermediate state between normal and diabetic transition stages. People with impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, although this is not inevitable.

prevention

Making lifestyle adjustments is the best way to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

To help prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications, people should:

achieve and maintain a healthy weight
Stay physically active and get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day
Eat a healthy diet and avoid sugar and saturated fat
Don't smoke.

Diagnosis and treatment

Early diagnosis can be made with a relatively inexpensive blood sugar test. People with type 1 diabetes need insulin injections to survive.
One of the most important ways to treat diabetes is to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Some people with type 2 diabetes need to take medications to help control blood sugar levels. These may include insulin injections or other medications. For example:

• Metformin
• Sulfonylureas
• Sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor.
• In addition to medications that lower blood sugar, people with diabetes often need blood pressure medications and statins to reduce the risk of complications.

Additional medical care may be needed to treat the effects of diabetes:

Foot Care Treats Ulcers
Screening and treating kidney disease
Screening and treatment for retinopathy (which can cause blindness).