O World Diabetes Day is celebrated this Tuesday, November 14th. The date, created in 1991, was chosen because of the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who discovered insulin together with Charles Best. The theme of the campaign held this year is "Access to Diabetes Care".
According to the Brazilian Diabetes Society, they are more than 13 million people who live with the disease only in Brazil. This represents 6.9% of the country's population.
diabetes mellitus is a disease caused by increased blood sugar and may have causes associated with autoimmune, genetic and lifestyle conditions of life, explains Tarissa Petry, endocrinologist at the Specialized Center for Obesity and Diabetes at Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cross.
In diabetes, the person has insufficient production or poor absorption of insulin, which is the hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood glucose. The condition is
In the video below, Tarissa talks about the necessary care with diabetes:
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Types and causes of diabetes
Among the types of diabetes, Tarissa highlights the two main types:
Type 1: the cause is associated with an autoimmune issue, in which the person's defense cells attack the pancreas itself, where the insulin-producing beta cells are located.
Type 2: It is characterized by having different types of causes, including genetic factors and increased visceral (abdominal) fat.
The endocrinologist explains that visceral fat is inflammatory and affects the action of insulin in cells. When insulin reaches the receptor, it starts acting in a way it shouldn't. As a result, the pancreas is "forced" to produce more insulin than usual and this causes the death of beta cells.
Symptoms of diabetes
Among the symptoms of diabetes, the main ones are increased urge to urinate, thirst and hunger, points out Tarissa.
Check out the symptoms of diabetes, according to the Ministry of Health, according to the types:
Type 1 symptoms
Frequent hunger;
Constant thirst;
Urge to urinate several times a day;
Weight loss;
Weakness;
Fatigue;
Mood changes;
Nausea and vomiting.
Type 2 symptoms
Frequent hunger;
Constant thirst;
Tingling in the feet and hands;
Urge to urinate several times;
Frequent bladder, kidney, skin and skin infections;
Wounds that take time to heal;
Blurry vision.
The doctor emphasizes that the symptoms of diabetes appear when the blood glucose level is too high. She reveals that there is a possibility that half of people who have diabetes do not know they have the disease. Symptoms appear when the disease has already progressed, she says.
Credit: Beto Assem.
Diabetes risk factors
See what the risk factors for diabates are, according to the Ministry of Health:
Diagnosis of pre-diabetes;
High pressure;
High cholesterol or changes in the level of triglycerides in the blood;
Overweight, especially if the fat is concentrated around the waist;
Parents, siblings or close relatives with diabetes;
Chronic kidney diseases;
Woman who gave birth to a child weighing more than 4kg;
Gestational diabetes;
Polycystic ovary syndrome;
Diagnosis of psychiatric disorders - schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder;
Sleep apnea;
Use of glucocorticoid class medications.
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Diabetes treatment
As for treatment, Petry remembers that the forms of intervention depend on the type of diabetes, as well as the evolution of the disease.
In the case of type 1 patients, treatment takes place through process of imitating insulin production by the pancreas. In this sense, it is necessary for the person to undergo "multiple insulin applications throughout the day".
For people living with type 2, there are medications that are used to reduce blood sugar levels and contribute to the weight loss process. These interventions work to reduce the chances of renal and cardiovascular complications and limb amputation.
Adopt a more active life, with physical exercise, is an alternative aimed at the weight loss process. According to Tarissa, if the patient loses more than 10% of their weight, it can change the progression of the disease, if they are at the beginning of their diabetes.
It reinforces the role played by institutions such as the Brazilian Diabetes Society and the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO). These institutions contribute to raising awareness about the disease among the population, as well as training doctors who care for people with diabetes.
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