DIABETES: Are You At Risk? by Dr. Obieze Nwanna - Nzewunwa

What is it?

Diabetes is the most popular hormonal disorder in humans and it has a massive global impact. To understand how it occurs, we need to view our body like a factory where a special chemical/hormone is produced. This hormone helps us to push all the sugar (glucose) that we eat from our blood into the cells which ultimately store or utilize the glucose to carry out our various body functions. This factory is called the "Pancreas", the chemical/hormone is, "Insulin" (a hormone) and the sugar is "Glucose". If there is a problem with either the factory (pancreas) or the product (insulin), then the sugar (glucose) gets stranded in the blood and accumulates. This accumulation leads to high blood sugar which is referred to as Diabetes (in its simplest terms). 

QUICK FACTS ABOUT DIABETES

1.     About 347 million people, worldwide, have diabetes presently and by 2030, it would be more than 366 million (10 times the number of people with HIV).

2.     China has 92 million diabetics and currently has the highest number of diabetics, followed by India 80 million.

3.     By 2030, diabetes would be the 7th leading cause of death.

4.     Diabetes in the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people aged 20-74 years.

5.     Diabetes in the leading cause kidney failure (which then creates the burden and need for dialysis and/or kidney transplant).

6.     Stroke is 2-4 times higher in diabetics than others.

RISK FACTORS FOR DIABETES

There are a number of conditions which increase the likelihood that someone will develop diabetes. These factors are highlighted below. It important to note that none of these factors independently is enough to predict that someone would or would not develop diabetes and caution should be taken when using these risk factors as a predictive tool to assess your predisposition to diabetes. If you have any concerns please consult your doctor or better yet speak to Dokinta, we can guide you. Here it goes:

Diabetes Risk Assessment

There are various ways of objectively assessing the likelihood that you can develop diabetes, however, the World Health Organization recommends the use of the Finnish Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Form. You can read and download/ save it for future reference. Remember that the only sure way of detecting diabetes is by undergoing a blood sugar test. These risk assessments are more of predictive measures and are not diagnostic measures. The image below is a copy  Finnish Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Form. 

Here's a list of famous people who have / lived with diabetes:

Nicole Johnson: Ex-Miss USA

Sharon Stone: Actress

Halle Berry: Actress

 Halle Berry: This  gorgeous actress who has been voted the sexiest woman alive on more than 1 occasion by more than one source is indeed a diabetic
Nicole Johnson: Former Miss America
Sharon Stone: Oh yeah! Her too. Now its beginning to seem like the Sweet-looking women seem to have the sugar problem.

    

Justus Esiri

Nick Jonas 

    

Elvis Presley

Justus Esiri:  Distinguished Nigerian Actor and father of the Nigerian superstar musician, Dr. Sid of Mavin Records
Elvis Presley:  King of Rock 'n' Roll music
Nick Jonas: American actor, songwriter and singer. Member of the "Jonas Brothers" American Band

Types of Diabetes

Diabetes can be classified into 3 main types.

Type-1: aka Juvenile Diabetes (because cos it starts in childhood). There is little/ no insulin production due to damage to the pancreas. It usually starts in childhood and such persons would requires Insulin for treatment because their insulin factory has been damaged thereby leading to low productivity of insulin. Hence insulin has to be given artificially by injection. 

Type- 2: aka Adult onset diabetes. In this type, the pancreas produces insulin but the insulin produced is not recognized by the cells as such, the insulin is ineffective. For this type, tablets are used to improve the quantity of insulin produced. This usually resolves the problem.

Gestational Diabetes: This is diabetes that occurs during pregnancy or is induced by pregnancy. 

Conclusion

Note that diabetes does not occur because someone is taking excessive amounts of sugar, (else, all the ants in my house would be dead or diabetic). This is because as long as the factory is producing adequate amounts of insulin, the body is able to push it out of the blood into the cells or to eliminate the excess through the kidneys as part of the urine. Therefore, Diabetes occurs when there is a damage to the factory, (pancreas) making it to be unable to produce enough (or any insulin at all), or causing it to produce insulin that is bad or can't be utilized by the body. Think of it like this, there is a damage to the factory which causes low productivity or yield of products with factory errors which are thus ineffective products.

  

NEXT TOPIC ON DOKINTA

DIABETES: CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND PREVENTION.