Healthy lifestyle battles diabetes

Healthy lifestyle battles diabetes
Authored Article by
Sheryl Salis, Chief Nutritionist and Head - Patient Care at ‘Cheeny Kum’
With our hectic erratic urban life styles and genetic predisposition it is no surprise to know that India is the Diabetes capital of the world housing 50.8 million people with diabetes. International Diabetes Federation (IDF), which tracks the global spread of this scourge, predicts the number is expected to go up to a whopping 87 million - 8.4% of the country's adult population - by 2030.
Being detected with diabetes is just the tip of the iceberg; dealing with its complications is the actual problem. Every 10 seconds there are two fresh diabetics detected and every 10 seconds a person dies of diabetic related complications. Diabetic complications are the real urban killers – they affect every organ in the body most prominently kidneys, nerves and eyes. Heart and limb problems eventually develop from diabetic related damage to nerve and blood vessels.
Neuropathy (nerve pain) presents itself as tingling and burning pain in your feet and hands, this indicates nerve damage. If left untreated it will lead to scaly dry skin with repeated foot infections and eventually gangrene which might require amputation. A simple monofilament/vibration test done by your doctor/podiatrist will help check for decreased sensation in your feet and detect neuropathy early. Insist that your doctor examines your feet at every visit .Wearing protective foot care will go a long way in saving the diabetic foot and taking care of it.
Normal ageing and vision problems are further hastened when blood sugars and blood pressure is kept uncontrolled. Early signs of eye problems in diabetes are blurring of vision and seeing dots and blots. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to retinopathy which may even lead to blindness. Diabetes has become the sixth cause of eye problems with 18% of diabetics above the age of 40 having diabetic retinopathy. Detecting the eye problems early and treating them immediately will help prevent more complicated and serious problems in the future. A regular visit to the ophthalmologist, atleast once a year; and undergoing a fundoscopy examination, will help diagnose the problem at the right stage.
Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure, accounting for more than 40 percent of new cases. Kidney complications usually present themselves with signs of swelling in feet associated with high blood pressure and breathlessness. Repeated low blood sugar episodes (hypoglycaemia) and less need for insulin or anti diabetic pills could also indicate kidney dysfunction. Early detection is very important and can be done by checking the protein/microalbumin in urine. Rising creatinine levels in blood is an indicator of progressing kidney damage.
There is a strong association between high blood glucose and heart disease. Diabetes is said to be a vascular disease wherein eight out of ten people will end up with heart disease. This is already evident with increasing number of heart attacks seen in younger people around us. Damage to the heart and brain (stroke) are a result of combination of chronic blood vessel changes because of diabetes and high lipids which end up clogging vessels and damaging the elasticity of blood vessels. People with a high cholesterol, high BP and diabetes find them self in a dangerous triad. They land up with blocked arteries and damaged hearts more easily than normal persons. This is most obviously due to diabetic damaged blood vessels that form plaques easily. To keep your heart strong and healthy, get a complete cholesterol check-up. Keep an eye on your blood pressure and blood sugar and get serious about weight loss especially if your waistline is more than 35 inches if you are a man or 32 inches if you are a woman. For the average Indian the BMI (body mass index) it has changed in the last four years and now stands at a rigid 23kg/m2. Regular exercise, and eating a diet that is lower in saturated fat and refined carbohydrates and high in fiber is the order of the day. According to the American Heart Association, people who smoke have twice the risk of heart attack as non-smokers hence it is important for all people with diabetes to quit smoking.
A recent study on the financial burden of diabetes on the common man in the country had found that 60% of diabetics irrespective of their socio-economic status pay for the expenditure incurred for treatment and management of the disease from their personal savings. This would amount to Rs 32,000/- per year and would only go up with complications and inflation.
The only way to ward one from these complications is to adapt to healthy lifestyle choices and maintain your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels close to normal. Doing so may help prevent or delay diabetes-related problems affecting the heart, foot , eye and kidney.
Considering this alarming situation and the need for easy accessibility, we at Cheeny Kum have designed the real time disease management technology. At Cheeny Kum you get to work with your health care team to make a diabetes plan that fits your lifestyle. The team may include your doctor, a diabetes educator, a dietician, a foot care doctor called a podiatrist and other specialists. This team will guide you on how to:
• Get your diabetes ABCs checked regularly: A1C* (blood glucose), Blood pressure, and Cholesterol.
• Know how and when to test your blood glucose and maintain the records.
• Ensure that you take your medicines as prescribed at the same times each day.
• Follow the healthy eating plan that you and your dietician have worked out
• Choose an activity best suited for you
• Do not smoke
• Follow your foot care and eye care guidelines
• Have your feet, eyes, and kidneys checked at least once a year.
(*A1C is an average measure of your blood glucose over a 3-month period.)
For more information and help in Diabetes care, visit www.cheenykum.com
Or call on 022 - 2202 2525
or sms cheenyyour name to 9773466338
Take control of the ABC’s of diabetes to prevent complications
American Diabetes Association target
Fasting blood glucose 70-130mg/dl
Post prandial blood glucose <180 mg/dl
HBA1c <7%
Blood pressure 130/80 mmHg
Total cholesterol <170mg/dl
LDL cholesterol <100 mg/dl
HDL Cholesterol (for men) > 40 mg/dl

HDL Cholesterol (for women) > 50 mg/dl
Triglycerides < 150 mg/dl