How should diabetes be prevented? We need to know the dangers of diabetes, pay attention to the health maintenance methods for diabetic patients, and frequently monitor the condition of diabetic patients in a timely manner. Gubaiyou - Love in 2010. Nutritional food promotes physical health.
How should diabetes be prevented?
The prevention of diabetes should establish three lines of "defense," which are referred to as tertiary prevention in medicine. If these "lines of defense" are set up in time, reasonably, and firmly, most cases of diabetes can be prevented or controlled. Eating more vegetables is nutritious and beneficial to the body.
These three lines of "defense" are:
Primary Prevention: Establishing the correct eating concept and adopting a reasonable lifestyle can minimize the incidence of diabetes. Diabetes is a non-contagious disease, and although there may be some genetic factors involved, the key factors are still postnatal living habits and environment. It is now known that excessive calorie intake, obesity, and lack of exercise are important factors in the onset of diabetes. Low sugar, low salt, low fat, high fiber, and high vitamin diet is the best dietary combination for preventing diabetes. Regular monitoring of weight and maintaining it at a normal level is crucial. When weight increases, it should be promptly restricted by reducing food intake and increasing physical activity to bring it back to normal as soon as possible. Exercise should become an important part of life and a lifelong habit. Scientific and artistic exercise not only consumes excess calories and maintains muscle mass but also enhances feelings of fulfillment and happiness. Of course, exercise should be gradual, within one's capabilities, taking interests into account, and performed with companions to make it easier to achieve results and persist. Smoking should be quit, alcohol consumption reduced, and all bad living habits eliminated. High-risk groups, especially those with parents suffering from diabetes who themselves are obese, eat excessively, have slightly elevated blood sugar, and lack exercise, should pay particular attention to prevention.
Secondary Prevention: Regularly testing blood glucose to detect asymptomatic diabetes as early as possible. Blood glucose measurement should be included as a routine examination item for middle-aged and elderly people, even if they are healthy, regular measurements should still be made. If there are any signs of diabetes, such as abnormal skin sensation, sexual dysfunction, poor vision, frequent urination, cataracts, etc., blood glucose should be tested promptly to make an early diagnosis and gain valuable time for early treatment. A combination of dietary, exercise, and medication measures should be used to control blood glucose levels long-term and steadily within normal or near-normal ranges. Fasting blood glucose should be below 6.11 mmol/L, and postprandial 2-hour blood glucose should be below 9.44 mmol/L. The indicator reflecting chronic blood glucose levels — glycosylated hemoglobin — should be below 7.0%. Lipid profile, blood pressure, and electrocardiogram should also be measured regularly; these are indirect indicators of blood glucose control.
Tertiary Prevention: The aim is to prevent or delay the occurrence and development of chronic complications of diabetes, reduce disability and mortality rates. Diabetics are prone to other chronic diseases and are easily endangered by complications. Therefore, the chronic complications of diabetes should be monitored closely to achieve early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment. Diabetes often prevents complications from occurring, allowing patients to live a life close to that of normal people for a long time.
Diabetes is currently a lifelong disease without a cure, so it is necessary to take action to standardize one's lifestyle scientifically. This is the most important and strongest line of defense. Even if you are already a diabetic patient, there is no need to be pessimistic; long-term effective control can prevent and delay the occurrence or development of chronic complications of diabetes. Of course, if you enter the stage of chronic complications, you need to be highly vigilant about slowing down the worsening of chronic complications.
What are the dangers of diabetes?
Diabetes cannot be cured, and its main danger lies in its complications, especially chronic complications.
Acute Complications:
Diabetes combined with infection: The incidence rate is high, and the two conditions are interrelated and must be treated simultaneously. Common infections include respiratory infections and tuberculosis, urinary tract infections, and skin infections.
Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome: Most commonly occurs in middle-aged and elderly individuals, half of whom have no history of diabetes. Clinical manifestations include dehydration, which can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis as cerebrovascular accidents due to symptoms like paralysis and coma. The mortality rate can be as high as 50%.
Lactic acidosis: Patients often have a history of heart, liver, or kidney disease, or shock, infection, hypoxia, alcohol consumption, or excessive use of antidiabetic drugs. Symptoms are non-specific, and the mortality rate is high.
Chronic Complications:
Large Vessel Complications:
(1) Cerebrovascular: Incidence rate is three times higher than in non-diabetics and is the main cause of disability or premature death among diabetic patients. Obstructive cerebrovascular diseases are more common.
(2) Cardiovascular: Incidence rate is three times higher than in non-diabetics and is the main cause of premature death among diabetic patients. Coronary heart disease is more common. Clinical features include a higher incidence of coronary heart disease, earlier onset, and a more significant increase in cardiovascular lesions in female diabetics. Non-typical clinical manifestations such as painless myocardial infarction are more common.
(3) Lower Limb Vessels: Incidence rate is five times higher than in non-diabetics. Diabetic lower limb vascular disease causes amputations ten times more than in non-diabetic patients, making it the main cause of limb disability in diabetic patients.
Microvascular Complications:
(1) Kidneys: Uremia incidence rate is 17 times higher than in non-diabetics and is the main cause of premature death in diabetic patients, especially Type I diabetic patients. Patients may exhibit proteinuria, hypertension, edema, and late-stage renal insufficiency.
(2) Retina: Bilateral blindness is 25 times higher than in non-diabetics and is one of the main reasons for disability in diabetic patients.
Neurological Complications:
(1) Sensory Nerves: Pain, numbness, hypersensitivity;
(2) Motor Nerves: Can see single nerve paralysis leading to motor disorders, local muscles may atrophy;
(3) Autonomic Nerves: Abnormal sweating, changes in blood pressure and heart rate, urinary incontinence or retention, diarrhea or constipation, and erectile dysfunction, etc.
Epidemiological studies show...