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It does not hurt, but it kills. One person dies every six seconds in the world from diabetes and its complications. It is estimated that 2 million Poles have pre-diabetes, which is one step away from getting sick. Check how to avoid the “epidemic of the XNUMXst century” …
Mass killer
It is more common than we think – it can affect a retired senior and a twenty-year-old on the verge of life. Statistics show that 422 million people worldwide suffer from a metabolic disease manifested by abnormal blood glucose levels in the patient’s blood. The prognosis leaves no doubt – according to experts, in the next two decades the number of patients will increase to 642 million, which means that one in ten of us will fall ill.
In our country, about 3 million people struggle with diabetes, of which a million do not know about it! Due to the cause, there are two main forms of the disease: type 1 diabetes, called juvenile diabetes, and type 2 diabetes, which affects almost 90% of patients. sick. How are they different?
The two faces of diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by the almost complete destruction of insulin-producing β cells in the pancreas by antibodies (the so-called autoimmune phenomenon). It manifests itself suddenly, most often in people under 30 years of age. Upon hearing the diagnosis, patients must be treated with insulin for the rest of their lives.
In contrast, type 2 diabetes can have two causes: one is impaired insulin secretion and the other is insulin resistance (insulin resistance). It mostly affects adults (over 45 years of age), but due to the obesity epidemic, it is becoming more common in children and adolescents. What hinders and delays the implementation of treatment is its asymptomatic course – the disease may develop for years without being noticed.
It destroys life, drains wallets
What’s worst about diabetes are the life-threatening complications that can occur with any type. Diabetics with uneven blood sugar levels are at risk of kidney failure, blindness due to diabetic retinopathy or “diabetic foot” very often leading to limb amputation. The most common complication of diabetes is, however, coronary artery disease, which is the main cause of death in diabetic patients in our country. It is estimated that over 50 percent. sick people die because of it.
The second most common complication is stroke, which occurs in diabetics 2-3 times more often than in the healthy population. The disease not only destroys your life, it drains your wallets. Modern therapy remains beyond the reach of most Poles. They often give up drugs, tests or specialized equipment related to treatment.
Outsmart the enemy
While type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, type 2 is the result of an inappropriate lifestyle. Scientific research clearly shows that in people from high-risk groups, i.e. those with hereditary disease or with already diagnosed pre-diabetes, the introduction of healthy habits and the associated weight reduction, reduce the risk of developing the disease by 50-85%! Where should you start?
Doctors and nutritionists emphasize that the tool of prevention, i.e. our “anti-diabetes policy” is the Pyramid of Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity, popularized by the Institute of Food and Nutrition. Its basis is moderate physical activity, for which we should devote at least 30-45 minutes each day. When it comes to the diet, you should limit the consumption of fats, especially saturated and simple sugars, and eliminate stimulants. When composing the menu, it is worth following the glycemic index, i.e. instead of corn flakes, reach for traditional porridge, white rice – brown, and buns – pumpernickel.
Don’t get ahead of you
Considering the scale of the disease, apart from physical activity, diet and reducing stress, it is worth thinking about additional protection and not being surprised by the disease. Nationale-Nederlanden diabetes insurance is the first fully diabetes insurance on the Polish market.
As part of the innovative solution, you get: payment of benefits in the case of diabetes diagnosis, which you can allocate for any purpose, consultations with specialists (diabetologist, surgeon, ophthalmologist, urologist, psychologist), access to a dietary portal, as well as a glucose test kit, including which includes a glucometer with access to a mobile application and a set of test strips, lancets and lancets. Importantly, the scope of protection covers the diagnosis of both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.