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Strategies to avoid diabetes
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Proper diet, exercise and behaviour modification can reduce the risk of diabetes
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Thilaka developed diabetes during her pregnancy. She had been advised to be on a special diabetic diet. She kept her blood sugar levels under control with her diet. She had a healthy baby and is at present busy with the exciting, sometimes exasperating, task of taking care of her little one. A small worry keeps nagging at her though. Will she develop diabetes in a few years?
Thilaka is at a risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, there are strategies she can follow to postpone the onset of the disease or even avoid it completely. New studies have shown that there are easy stratagems, which can help us avoid the onset of type 2 diabetes.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way the body uses digested food for growth and energy. Normally, the food you eat is broken down into glucose. The glucose then passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by the cells for growth and energy. For glucose to reach the cells, however, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a hand-sized gland behind the stomach.
What is type 2 diabetes?
Ninety to 95 per cent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Most people with type 2 diabetes have two problems: the pancreas may not produce enough insulin, and secondly, fat, muscle, and liver cells cannot use it effectively (insulin resistance). This means that glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine and passes out of the body without fulfilling its role as the body's main source of fuel.
Why the fuss?
It is important to know that uncontrolled diabetes is one of the leading causes of kidney failure, limb amputation and new-onset blindness. People with diabetes are also two to four times more likely than those without diabetes to develop heart disease.
Pre-diabetes
Pre-diabetes, also called impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (a fasting blood sugar level between 110 and 126 mg/dl), is a condition in which the blood glucose (blood sugar) levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. Having pre-diabetes puts one at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Having pre-diabetes also puts one at an increased risk for developing heart disease.
Risk factors:
Just being born Indian puts us at a higher risk for developing diabetes. You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if
- you are overweight
- you are 45 years old or older
- you developed diabetes during pregnancy or gave birth to at least one baby weighing more than 4 kg.
- your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, or you have been told that you have high blood pressure
- your HDL cholesterol is 35 or lower, or your triglyceride level is 250 or higher
- you are fairly inactive, or you exercise fewer than three times a week
- you have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
Your chances of getting diabetes are about 20 per cent if your mother suffers from it, 14 per cent if your father has it, 75 per cent if a brother or sister has it and 99 per cent if you have a twin with diabetes.
Strategies to avoid diabetes
Studies have been carried out in different parts of the world and the striking results tell us that millions of high-risk people can go for diet, exercise and behaviour modification to avoid developing type 2 diabetes.
So what works?
Effective diet, exercise and behaviour modification can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 58 per cent. Lifestyle changes worked particularly well for participants aged 60 and older, reducing their risk by 71 per cent. Weight loss achieved through better eating habits and exercise reduces the risk of diabetes by improving the ability of the body to use insulin and process glucose.
Women, the pivot around which the family revolves, can modify their family's lifestyle to ensure a diabetes-free life. Make the following a part of the family's routine:
- Walking 30 minutes each day, at least five times a week (150 minutes per week)
- A low fat diet with at least five servings of vegetables and fruits per day
- Substituting fruits for sweets
How much weight loss is effective?
In overweight people, a weight loss of as little as 5-7 per cent was found to be effective. For example, a person weighing 75 kg should lose between 3.75 kilos to 5.25 kilos to benefit.
GITA ARJUN
(The author is a Chennai-based obstetrician and gynaecologist with a special interest in women's health issues)
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