Do you know that currently, some 3.6 million Malaysians are suffering from diabetes? This is the highest rate in Asia and one of the highest in the world.
By 2025, seven million diagnosed and undiagnosed adults in the country are projected to be affected by diabetes, a worrying trend that will see the disease prevalence of 31.3 per cent among adults aged 18 years and above.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad revealed these figures when officiating at the 3rd Cambridge-Oxford Sunway Biomedical Symposium entitled “Diabetes: Disarming the Silent Killer” in Kuala Lumpur recently.
Yes, diabetes is a silent killer in our midst! According to the minister, the exponential increase is significantly within Type 2 diabetes which is largely due to excess body weight and physical inactivity.
Dzulkefly said the government had been paying serious attention to the exponential increase because it had become a major economic burden on the healthcare system and national economy.
A macro-economic study done in 2011 showed the cost of diabetes to Malaysia at approximately RM2 billion, potentially representing 13 per cent of the healthcare budget.
According to Dzulkefly, the RM2 billion is the cost of treating diabetes itself and its complications. The sensitivity analysis, he added, revealed that the national cost could be as high as RM3.52 billion and that if societal costs were included, the cost could even be higher.
State Health director Dr Jamilah Hashim also touched on diabetes when officiating at a state-level Assistant Medical Officers Day 2019 in Miri recently.
She said the national record for diabetes was 18 per cent of the total population of adults aged 18 years and above. But in Sarawak, over 100,000 people or 11 per cent of the total population of adults aged 18 years and above have the disease.
Jamilah pointed out that diabetes management at government clinics in Sarawak was still not very satisfactory and remedial measures must be taken for a healthier society.
Outreach programmes, she stressed, must be intensified as early detection and early treatment could ensure better quality of life for patients.
In view of the exponential increase in diabetes in the country, perhaps it is time for the Health Ministry to implement more diabetic education programmes for the public in the country.
Do you know there are two types of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2? Type 1 diabetes happens when your immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. It is caused by genes and environmental factors and can start quickly in a matter of weeks.
Type 2 diabetes, which is the most common form, is caused by several factors including lifestyle factors and genes. A person is more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes if he or she is not physically active and is overweight or obese.
Type 2 diabetes usually starts with insulin resistance, a condition in which muscle, liver and fat cells do not use insulin well. Thus, the body needs more insulin to help glucose enter cells. Initially, the pancreas makes more insulin to keep up with the demand. Soon, the pancreas cannot make enough insulin and blood glucose levels rise.
Like in Type 1 diabetes, certain genes may make a person more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. The disease tends to run in families and occurs more often in certain racial/ethnic groups.
Among the symptoms of diabetes are increased thirst and urination, increased hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the feet or hands, sores that do not heal and unexplained weight loss.
Dear friends, give yourself a pat on the back if you do not have diabetes yet. Although there are certain factors that you cannot change like your genes, age or past behaviours, there are many things you can do right now to reduce the risk of diabetes.
One of the ways is to cut sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet. Many studies have shown a link between frequent consumption of sugar or refined carbohydrates.
Another way to prevent diabetes is to exercise regularly. Many types of physical activities like aerobic exercise, high-intensity interval training and strength training have been shown to reduce insulin resistance and blood sugar in overweight, obese and pre-diabetic adults.
Drinking plain water instead of sugary beverages like soda can also help you reduce the risk of diabetes. Some studies show that increased water consumption may lead to better blood sugar control and insulin response.
Losing weight if you are obese can help reduce the risk of diabetes. Although not everyone who has Type 2 diabetes is overweight or obese, the majority are.
There is a research linking Type 2 diabetes to smoking and second-hand smoke exposure. So stop smoking if you are a smoker.
Eat a high-fibre diet as plenty of fibre is good for gut health and weight management.
Having diabetes is no fun. The disease can impose a huge economic burden on the sufferers and their families in terms of medical bills, loss of family income associated with disability and premature death and caring for disabled members.
So act now to reduce the risk of diabetes in your life!
