May your life be sweet, but not your blood

Diabetes is a significant global health concern, steadily increasing in prevalence. Experts predict it could reach epidemic proportions, affecting 1 in every 10 adults worldwide. What’s even more concerning is that many individuals might not be aware they have this condition. In Slovenia, estimates suggest that between 59,000 and 127,000 people have diabetes. Calorie-dense food, lack of exercise and a longer life expectancy are among the factors that contribute to the development of diabetes.

What is diabetes?

The basic disorder underlying this disease is the inability of blood sugar (glucose) to pass from the blood into the cells. This passage is facilitated by insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas. If there is too little of it in the blood or the cells do not respond to it, blood sugar levels spike. The most common form of this disease is type 2 diabetes,affecting 90% of all patients with this condition, mainly middle-aged and older adults. Risk factors include age over 45, obesity, a close relative with diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance or elevated fasting blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, and sedentary lifestyle.

Do you know the recommended target values for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels?

Elevated blood sugar levels can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves and cardiovascular system, which can lead to serious complications including blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke.
 Control over your blood sugar, and also blood pressure and cholesterol levels, is key to preventing issues that may arise from suffering from this condition.

Typical signs and symptoms of diabetes

• increased excretion of water from the body (urination)
• associated dehydration and severe thirst
• fatigue
• blurred vision
• weight loss
• constant hunger
• poor wound healing
• tingling in the hands

Treatment of diabetes

If diabetes is detected early enough, a proper diet and lifestyle changes, including weight loss, more exercise, regular healthy eating and quitting smoking, may be enough to keep your blood sugar levels under control. But since type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease, this may not prove to be enough for most patients. Lifestyle changes often need to be complemented with appropriate medication.

Krka’s modern medicines represent a significant stride in the effective and safe treatment of diabetes. These medications boast a low risk of hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels), aim to maintain insulin secretion from the pancreas for as long as possible, and do not induce cardiovascular complications.

The primary goal of diabetes treatment is to manage blood glucose levels effectively, thus preventing potential complications. It’s crucial not only to address diabetes itself but also to control risk factors such as elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

What you can do to prevent diabetes

Diabetes can be prevented (or delayed) by living a healthy lifestyle, which is why it is advised that you:

Healthy living should be selected as an option as early as possible. Healthy living doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a bit of sweets from time to time. In the right proportion, it is possible to enjoy both at the same time. Let’s make sure that sweetness in our lives comes from happy moments, not from high blood sugar levels.

Reference

1. Slovenian National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) at: Nacionalni Inštitut za javno zdravje RS – Sladkorna bolezen. [Cited on 24 October 2023]
   Accessible: https://nijz.si/nenalezljive-bolezni/sladkorna-bolezen/
2. Slovenske smernice za klinično obravnavo sladkorne bolezni tipa 2 (str. 290). (2022). Diabetološko združenje Slovenije. [Cited on 24 October 2023] Accessible on: https://endodiab.si/_assets/2022/10/Knjizica-Sladkorna-bolezen-tipa-2-100×160-mm-2022-06-13-v5-4-za-web-VSEBINA.pdf
3. SAGADIN, Tamara, 2020, Prisotnost zapletov pri pacientih s sladkorno boleznijo in vpliv bolezni na življenje [na spletu]. Diplomsko delo. Maribor : Univerza v Mariboru. [Dostopano 24 oktober 2023]. Pridobljeno s: https://dk.um.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=slv&id=76107