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Diabetes

About Diabetes

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What is Diabetes?

What is Diabetes?
 
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterised by abnormally high levels of blood glucose (blood sugar). In people suffering from diabetes, the body is unable to properly process food for use as energy. Let's put it this way - most of the food we eat turns into glucose or sugar, which our body uses for energy. The pancreas makes a hormone called 'insulin' to help glucose penetrate into the cells of the body. At times, the body doesn't make enough or any insulin. As a result, the glucose (or sugar) stays in the blood and over time causes health problems. This is why many people refer to diabetes as “sugar”.
 
What is borderline diabetes?
 
The term borderline diabetes indicates that a person does not really have diabetes, but a milder version of the disease, which can turn into full-blown diabetes if precautions are not taken.
 
What are the types of diabetes?
 
There are two types of diabetes: Type-1 and Type-2
 
Type-1 diabetes explained:
 
Type-1 diabetes was earlier known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). In people suffering from Type-1diabetes, the body does not make sufficient quantities of insulin. Type-1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with Type-1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to keep going.
 
Autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are the reasons behind Type-1 diabetes.
 
Type-1 accounts for 5-10 per cent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
 
Type-2 diabetes explained:
 
Earlier known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90 to 95 per cent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. It occurs when the body doesn't produce sufficient insulin or when the glucose stays in the blood and the body fails to utilise it as fuel for energy. Type-2 diabetes is often linked to obesity. However, other risk factors include old age, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, family history of diabetes, smoking, etc.
 
Other specific types of diabetes result from specific genetic syndromes, surgeries, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses. They account for only 1 to 2 per cent of those diagnosed with diabetes.
 
What are the early signs of diabetes?
 
Some of the early signs of diabetes include
 
Excessive thirst and hunger, nausea, fatigue, weight gain or loss, frequent urination, darkening of the skin in areas of body creases, numbness in hands and feet, skin infections, etc.
 
Do note that symptoms of diabetes are the same in men and women.
 
What is pre-diabetes?
 
Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but a person does not yet have diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are at the risk of developing the disease.
 
What is the treatment for diabetes?
 
Although diabetes has no cure, steps can be taken to manage it and stay healthy.
 
Type-1 diabetes can be managed with insulin as well as dietary changes and exercise.
 
Type-2 diabetes can be dealt with non-insulin medication, insulin, weight reduction and dietary changes.

When is World Diabetes Day?
 
November 14 is celebrated as World Diabetes Day in over 170 countries. This day is meant to raise awareness about diabetes.
 
Why India should seriously give attention to diabetes?
 
Over 429 million people across the globe are suffering from diabetes. According to the Indian Medical Association, India has the second-highest diabetes population in the world and are four times more likely to develop the disorder.
 
One person dies every eight seconds because of diabetes and its related diseases, says IMA. The increasing trend of diabetes in India is due to lack of physical activities and healthy living environment.

Latest Updates on Diabetes

The Huminsulin range is vital for managing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, helping control blood sugar levels in adults and children

Updated On: 30 Dec 2024 | 9:57 PM IST

Under the same programme, over 14 crore were screened for breast cancer and more than 26 crore for oral cancer

Updated On: 17 Dec 2024 | 7:49 PM IST

Biobanks are critical in biomedical research, collecting, processing, storing and distributing biospecimens to support scientific research, the article said

Updated On: 15 Dec 2024 | 3:08 PM IST

According to a report by diagnostic service provider Thyrocare, 49.43 per cent of the tested population in India exhibited abnormal blood glucose levels

Updated On: 04 Dec 2024 | 11:27 PM IST

Ethiopia, with a 2-3 per cent diabetes prevalence rate, ranks among the top four countries in sub-Saharan Africa for adult diabetes cases

Updated On: 27 Nov 2024 | 7:04 PM IST

Kamath revealed that a 20-year-old woman living in a city today has a 64.6 per cent chance of developing diabetes in her lifetime, while for young men, the risk is 55.5 per cent

Updated On: 22 Nov 2024 | 2:33 PM IST

In 2022, there were around 828 million people aged 18 years and older with type 1 and type 2 diabetes worldwide, the study found

Updated On: 14 Nov 2024 | 5:24 PM IST

Every year on November 14, we observe the World Diabetes Day (WDD) to increase awareness of diabetes, a chronic condition that affects millions of people worldwide

Updated On: 14 Nov 2024 | 10:55 AM IST

Wockhardt is also developing additional insulin analogs and GLP-1 agonists to provide advanced diabetes care solutions

Updated On: 16 Oct 2024 | 1:31 PM IST

Indian diets, traditionally rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, have shifted towards processed, fried, and sugar-laden foods, according to a recent government-backed study

Updated On: 09 Oct 2024 | 5:12 PM IST

The glucose tolerance test measures how the body reacts to sugar or glucose and is frequently used to detect insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes or prediabetes

Updated On: 08 Oct 2024 | 5:40 PM IST

Adipose tissue cells from the patient were reprogrammed into stem cells, converted to islet cells, and transplanted back, eliminating the risk of immune rejection as they were from her own body

Updated On: 30 Sep 2024 | 3:38 PM IST

Now, stem cell therapy has opened up new possibilities for diabetes treatment, the report said

Updated On: 30 Sep 2024 | 1:37 PM IST

Staying up late increases Type 2 diabetes risk by nearly 50 per cent and is associated with higher BMI, larger waist circumference, and more visceral and liver fat

Updated On: 10 Sep 2024 | 5:15 PM IST

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) began a review of safety data for the class of drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, more than a year ago

Updated On: 04 Sep 2024 | 10:45 PM IST

Also known as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), type 1.5 diabetes has features of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes

Updated On: 27 Aug 2024 | 9:47 AM IST

The researchers, however, found no evidence that replacing unprocessed red meat with poultry helped in cutting down diabetes risk

Updated On: 21 Aug 2024 | 7:11 AM IST

Fitterfly Klik uses AI computer vision paired with the Fitterfly Nutrition Database, comprising over 37,000 Indian foods, to recognize, analyze, and break down food

Updated On: 17 Jul 2024 | 5:14 PM IST

Researchers say future study required to assess causality

Updated On: 14 Jul 2024 | 10:13 PM IST

Union Minister of Science and Technology launches the Indo-French Liver and Metabolic Disease Network to find India-specific interventions for metabolic disorders

Updated On: 05 Jul 2024 | 4:55 PM IST