Knowledge on Diabetes Mellitus

DIABETES MELLITUS Intelligence & Care by Tasakhtaa Global Hospital

Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disorder that is characterized by elevated fasting or post-prandial blood glucose level (hyperglycemia) which is due to either resistance to insulin action or inadequate insulin secretion.

According to International Diabetes Federation and WHO diabetes mellitus is the ninth major cause of death and about 1 in 11 adults worldwide now have diabetes mellitus, the number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 and projected to be to around 552 million by 2030. Africa and other middle and low income counties expected to be the epicenter of this epidemic.

How many types? There are 3 major types of DIABETIC MELLITUS with other emerging subtypes, these are; dLJƉĞϭĚŝĂďĞƚĞƐ͗DĂŝŶůLJ ĚƵĞƚŽĂƵƚŽŝŵŵƵŶĞĂďŶŽƌŵĂůŝƚLJ ůĞĂĚŝŶŐƚŽĂďƐŽůƵƚĞͬŝŶƐƵĸĐŝĞŶƚ ŝŶƐƵůŝŶƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶĂŶĚĐĂŶŶŽƚďĞ ƉƌĞǀĞŶƚĞĚ͕ŵŽƐƚůLJŽĐĐƵƌƐĚƵƌŝŶŐ ĐŚŝůĚŚŽŽĚ͘ dLJƉĞϮĚŝĂďĞƚĞƐ͗ĚƵĞƚŽ ƉƌŽŐƌĞƐƐŝǀĞůŽƐƐŽĨŝŶƐƵůŝŶ ƐĞĐƌĞƟŽŶͬĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐŝŶƐƵůŝŶ ƌĞƐŝƐƚĂŶĐĞ͕ŝƚŚĂƐŐĞŶĞƟĐ ƉƌĞĚŝƐƉŽƐŝƟŽŶŵĂŝŶůLJŽĐĐƵƌƐ ĚƵƌŝŶŐĂĚƵůƚŽŶƐĞƚ͘ 'ĞƐƚĂƟŽŶĂůĚŝĂďĞƚĞƐŵĞůůŝƚƵƐ͗ƚŚŝƐ ŝƐĞůĞǀĂƚĞĚďůŽŽĚŐůƵĐŽƐĞůĞǀĞů ĚƵƌŝŶŐƉƌĞŐŶĂŶĐLJƚŚĂƚƚĞŶĚĐĂƵƐĞ ĐŽŵƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐĚƵƌŝŶŐƉƌĞŐŶĂŶĐLJ ĂŶĚƉŽƐĞĂƌŝƐŬĨĂĐƚŽƌĨŽƌƚLJƉĞϮ ĚŝĂďĞƚĞƐĨŽƌƚŚĞĐŚŝůĚ͘/ƚŝƐŽŌĞŶ ĚŝƐĐŽǀĞƌĞĚƚŚƌŽƵŐŚĂŶƚĞŶĂƚĂů ƐĐƌĞĞŶŝŶŐ͘KƚŚĞƌƚLJƉĞƐŽĨ ĚŝĂďĞƚĞƐŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐDĂƚƵƌŝƚLJͲŽŶƐĞƚ ĚŝĂďĞƚĞƐŽĨƚŚĞLJŽƵŶŐ΀DKz΁͕ ƵĞƚŽƉĂŶĐƌĞĂƟĐĚŝƐĞĂƐĞƐ͕ƌƵŐ ŝŶĚƵĐĞĚĚŝĂďĞƚĞƐ;^ƚĞƌŽŝĚƵƐĞͿ ĂŶĚĂŌĞƌŽƌŐĂŶƚƌĂŶƐƉůĂŶƚĂƟŽŶ ĂƌĞŽŶƚŚĞƌŝƐĞ͘

What are the sign and symptoms? dŚĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ ŵĂLJŝŶĐůƵĚĞĨƌĞƋƵĞŶƚƵƌŝŶĂƟŽŶ͕ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚƚŚŝƌƐƚ͕ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ŚƵŶŐĞƌ͕ĨĂƟŐƵĞ͕ŝƌƌŝƚĂďŝůŝƚLJ͕ ǁĞŝŐŚƚůŽƐƐ͕ďůƵƌƌĞĚǀŝƐŝŽŶ͕ůŽǁĞƌ ĞdžƚƌĞŵŝƚLJŶƵŵďŶĞƐƐĂŶĚĨƌĞƋƵĞŶƚ ŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶƐŐƵŵƐͬƐŬŝŶ͘dŚŽƵŐŚ͕ ƐŽŵĞƉĞŽƉůĞĂƌĞĂƐLJŵƉƚŽŵĂƟĐ ŝŶŝƟĂůůLJ͘ŝĂďĞƚĞƐŵĞůůŝƚƵƐĐĂƵƐĞƐ ĐŽŵƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐŝŶĞLJĞƐ͕ŬŝĚŶĞLJƐ͕ ŚĞĂƌƚ͕ďƌĂŝŶ͕ŶĞƌǀĞƐ͕ƵƌŝŶĞƐLJƐƚĞŵ͕ ƐŬŝŶ͕ĨĞĞƚĂŶĚŝŶƉƌĞŐŶĂŶĐLJ͘>Žǁ ďůŽŽĚƐƵŐĂƌůĞǀĞůƐĂŶĚĐŽŵĂ ĐĂŶĂůƐŽŽĐĐƵƌĚƵĞƚŽŝŵƉƌŽƉĞƌ ŵĞĚŝĐŝŶĞƵƐĞŽƌƉŽŽƌĨĞĞĚŝŶŐ͘

Diagnosis: By checking fasting plasma glucose, 2-hour plasma glucose during oral glucose tolerance test or through routine antenatal visits.

Who should be tested? Anyone with aforementioned risk factors, signs and symptoms and those in their early adult hood can have regular blood testing

Risk factors: First-degree relative with type 2 diabetes, High-risk ethnicity like African American, Asian etc, overweight, unhealthy diet, sedentary life style, Polycystic ovary syndrome, Pre-diabetes and History of diabetes in pregnancy etc.

Simple Blood tests, Healthy balanced diet low in saturated fat, low in salt and eating …ˆ}…wLiÀ`ˆiÌ]vÀՈÌÃ>˜` vegetables; avoid sugars and lots of carbohydrates, limiting or stopping alcohol consumption, stop smoking, monitor and control the blood sugar level and blood pressure and, regular exercises at least 2.5 to 5 hours per week of brisk walking or aerobics or physical exercise of moderate intensity is enough to prevent grave complications of diabetes mellitus. Maintain normal blood cholesterol level. Use medications for optimal control. Consult with the nutritionist for meal plan.

For more information on a Diabetes Mellitus, please visit Tasakhtaa Global Hospital or call us at call: +255 242 232341.

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