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About this insidious disease “Komsomolskaya Pravda” told Professor of the Department of Endocrinology of the Federal University of Higher Education, GBUZ MO MONIKI them. M.F. Vladimirsky, Doctor of Medical Sciences Inna Misnikova.
Drinks with sweeteners are especially harmful.
– Inna Vladimirovna, what is diabetes in general? What are the types of diabetes and how do they differ?
Diabetes is a disease in which the level of sugar in the blood is chronically elevated. There are type 1 diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes – first occurring during pregnancy, diabetes mellitus that arose for some specific specific reason (for example: taking certain medications, the consequence of certain infections, pancreatic diseases, genetic diseases).
Why does it arise? Children are often told: don’t eat so many sweets, diabetes will come. This is true?
— Different types of diabetes differ in the cause of occurrence. Type 2 diabetes occurs more often in overweight or obese people who tend to overeat sugary, fatty foods. Children should be taught to eat healthy food. It is especially harmful to consume drinks with sweeteners, sweet fatty desserts, convenience foods. If a child is obese, then he also has an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes!
Type 1 diabetes occurs for completely different reasons – and is not associated with food preferences.
What diseases and conditions lead to diabetes?
– The biggest danger in terms of type 2 diabetes is the presence of obesity, especially abdominal obesity. This is when the waist circumference in men is 94 cm or more, in women 80 cm or more.
There are a number of diseases that are more common in type 2 diabetes. This, in addition to obesity, arterial hypertension, lipid metabolism disorders (increased blood cholesterol), increased uric acid, which is combined under the concept of metabolic syndrome.
The risk of type 2 diabetes is increased in people who sleep less than 6 hours a night or who have trouble breathing during sleep (sleep apnea). Women who had high blood sugar during pregnancy, even if it returned to normal after childbirth, are at risk. Even low or high birth weight can predispose to the development of type 2 diabetes in the future.
Aging is another predisposing factor, with the risk increasing in older age regardless of weight gain.
Young people face an epidemic of obesity and diabetes
Does age affect? As far as I know, both adults and children have diabetes… Is there any “average” age for the onset of diabetes, when one should be especially attentive to one’s health?
– Basically, type 2 diabetes, which accounts for more than 95% of cases of diabetes, occurs after 40 years, and type 1 diabetes at a young age. That is, the older a person is, the higher the risk that he will develop type 2 diabetes. After the age of 45, everyone needs to measure their blood sugar levels and if they are normal, repeat the test after three years, and if there are other predisposing factors, such as obesity, even more often.
But this does not exclude the occurrence of type 2 diabetes before the age of 40, even in children and adolescents. Unfortunately, there are now more and more such cases, which is associated with an epidemic of obesity in young people.
– Is there any list of symptoms when you can start to worry—and suspect diabetes? What should be done if there are doubts?
– Unfortunately, type 2 diabetes can often occur with blurred clinical symptoms or not manifest itself at all. It can suddenly, without special reasons, significantly reduce weight, fatigue, weakness appear. With a high level of sugar in the blood, there may be dry skin and mucous membranes, frequent urination, thirst. But these symptoms may or may not be present.
With type 1 diabetes, as a rule, very bright symptoms, the patient’s condition deteriorates rapidly and without timely assistance, he can quickly fall into a coma.
May not feel pain
– Are there any effective ways to avoid diabetes, what kind of prevention is needed?
– Currently, there is no effective prevention of type 1 diabetes, but this is a fairly rare disease.
Prevention of type 2 diabetes – a healthy lifestyle: the use of vegetables and fruits, whole grain products, the exclusion of drinks with sweeteners, trans fats; increased physical activity; quality sleep 7-8 hours.
Can gout lead to diabetes?
– Rather, they can accompany – one disease to another.
– Is it true that any wound in diabetes can be fatal?
– With long-term diabetes mellitus, the blood supply to the legs gradually worsens due to changes in the vessels and the sensitivity in the feet and legs decreases. Healing in diabetes mellitus is slow, ulcers on the feet may not heal for weeks or even months. Moreover, even with a very deep degree of tissue damage, pain may be absent or mild, due to damage to the nerve endings responsible for the perception of pain. Patients with diabetes need to regularly examine the feet and if ulcers, calluses, abrasions are found, consult a doctor. Timely treatment will minimize the risk.
Nachalova’s illness could proceed secretly
– Returning to the situation with Yulia Nachalova: a week before her death, she went to the doctors with a non-healing callus on her big toe. She had gout and diabetes. Moreover, the diagnosis of “diabetes” appeared less than six months ago, even less. Was it possible during this time to start health in such a way that a diabetic foot had already developed and sugar jumped so sharply that it led to death?
– Of course, you need to read the case histories in order to assess what happened. Type 2 diabetes can be latent for a long time. Sometimes late complications of diabetes are diagnosed at the same time as type 2 diabetes. However, this does not mean that it has just emerged. It may have been three, five or ten years…
Unfortunately, the occurrence of an ulcer in the foot area with diabetes mellitus is a big risk, with untimely assistance it can lead to very serious consequences.
How does diabetes affect weight? Pugacheva (she has diabetes) says that there are some miraculous Israeli pills for diabetes. She was prescribed them in Israel – and she immediately lost weight.
– Losing weight as a result of switching to a healthy diet, increased physical activity, drug treatment (prescribed by a doctor!) Can significantly improve the course of type 2 diabetes. Bariatric surgery (surgery to reduce weight) can generally lead to remission of type 2 diabetes (disappearance of the need for insulin and other hypoglycemic drugs).
I don’t know anything about Israeli pills. It seems to me that our Israeli colleagues prescribe the same range of hypoglycemic drugs as in Russia and in most other countries.
Are there any beauty treatments for diabetics?
– This is very individual and depends on the level of blood sugar, the presence of complications of diabetes, concomitant diseases. Operations are always associated with a risk, which is undesirable in case of diabetes. If in doubt, it is better to consult with the treating endocrinologist.
You can live with this disease for a long time
– What can you advise people with diabetes: what should they always remember?
– It is necessary to regularly visit a doctor and discuss with him the goals of treatment, what should be the level of sugar in the blood, glycated hemoglobin, blood lipids, blood pressure. Take all prescribed medications and follow dietary and physical activity recommendations. Control blood sugar. Learn how to properly inject insulin, if prescribed. Follow the rules for foot care. Be sure to attend a diabetes school.
And the main thing is to look at life with optimism, since at present there are all opportunities for a patient with diabetes to live happily ever after. It is only necessary to use these opportunities.