Recent statistical studies indicates that diabetic patients from the second type (bodies that cannot completely benefit from insulin produced in them) are in continuous increase, as statistics (CDC) show that the percentage of diabetics above 40 years old has increased to 40% during the past 8 years, and 70% in diabetics below 40 years of age (30 – 40 years) and so, we no longer at the second type of diabetics as a disease of age (as previously thought of) but a disease of youngsters as well.
Researchers and doctors believe that the most important factor to the increasing percentage of this disease is obesity and lazy lifestyle habits (lack of exercise) and from the questions that needed to be answered in the right a scientific research method: can we avoid the second type of diabetes in individuals threatened with the disease?
We mean by threatened, those who have a high risk of getting infected by diabetes due to the existence of helpful elements and factors for the disease to appear, such as the genetic factor (spread of the disease in the family) or obesity.
And for the first time the answer to that question has been made in the right scientific research methods, in a study published by the famous medical journal (the New England Journal of Medicine) in its published issue on 31 of May 2001.
In this study 522 people were chosen (72 men and 350 woman) their average age was 55 years old and are at risk of getting infected by diabetes, having symptoms of the disease (the bodies lack of ability to deal and respond properly with sugar when their body is subject to high levels of sugar) which is called ‘Impaired Glucose Tolerance test, dividing people into two randomly selected groups.
In the first group, the applicants received health directions aimed to losing their weigh, decreasing fat levels, increasing fibers daily percentage, increasing movement and exercise, and then researchers tested those applicants annually for 3 years (Oral Glucose Tolerance) to identify the individuals who became diabetic by retesting again.
The study was able to answer the question that we brought at the beginning of the article, which is: can we avoid diabetes (the second type)?
4 years later, the study found out that the percentage of diabetics in the second group (that did not have any instructions of guidance to lose weight) where 23%, where as the percentage of infection decreased to 11% in the second group (which followed the weight loss program and increasing physical exercise).
This means that, the possibility of being diabetic decreased 58% in the first group and this decrease was the result of following a better quality of lifestyle (Food and physical exercise).
The study results confirmed that we can truly avoid diabetes or prolonging it from happening by following a healthy lifestyle.
Diabetes and its complications costs America alone 98 billion dollars a year and where cancerous diseases in general including its complications costs them 107 billion dollars annually, with the fact that diabetics percentage in the U.S does not exceed 8%, and exceeds 30% in some Arabic countries.
The best ways to deal with a diabetic patient is prevention not treatment, where treatments have limited complications due to the fact that this disease infects each and every organ in the body.
As sugar clutters in the blood vessels resulting complications in different parts of the body, such as the eyes, and when diabetes is considered the main factor to cause blindness to patients between 20 and 70 years old, as for kidney’s, half of diagnosed kidney failures are a cause of diabetes disease, and the possibility of heart diseases for diabetics quadruples, not to mention that above 8% of diabetics suffer from Erectile Dysfunctions , and most diabetics suffers from neural damage in the limbs which ends up with limb amputation surgeries in many cases.
Yes, the first line of defense against diabetes is prevention, and prevention from infection comes through following a healthy lifestyle.
As for the second defense line against diabetes would be also prevention, prevention from the complications by following a healthy lifestyle, as well as taking medication to control sugar levels in the blood.
Our communities still neglect prevention measures, obesity percentages are amongst the highest in the world and our nations never commit to a daily exercise system or a healthy food diet system, and the sense towards maintaining their health may pass by many, that is why it’s important to take reasons of keeping our health safe.
Prevention is better than cure.
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