Obesity is a risk factor for diabetes, and diabetics may increase their risk of cardiovascular disease or kidney disease!

Diabetes is a national disease! According to statistics from the National Health Service, there are approximately 2.5 million diabetes patients in the country, and the number continues to increase at a rate of 160,000 per year. November 14th of every year is "World Diabetes Day". Today, Chang Chi Medical Center held the "111th World Diabetes Day" health promotion screening event, hoping to let the public understand their own physical condition and receive health checks early.

The "World Diabetes Day" health promotion screening activities not only allow the public to understand their own physical condition, but also call on the public to establish the prevention and treatment concept of early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment of diabetes.

Chang Chun-ru, chief of the Planning and Information Division of the Changhua County Health Bureau, said that diabetes is actually a very common disease that concerns the health of each and every one of us. Because of changes in people's lifestyles, the prevalence of beverages and desserts, more and more people are suffering from early-stage diabetes. Especially among the young people in their twenties and thirties, we have discovered that they not only have high blood pressure but also diabetes. This is something we need to pay special attention to. Since we care about our next generation, we should get health checks early on.

Diabetics should control the three highs to reduce the occurrence of complications

Zhang Chunru said that there are about 110,000 diabetics in Changhua County, and the number is increasing by about 3,000 each year. She said that the number of diabetics is increasing, so these patients should be detected and treated early. The Chang Chien Foundation diabetes medical team, whether physicians, nurses or nutritionists, take great care of diabetic patients. In particular, diabetic patients should have their blood sugar, blood pressure and blood lipids under very good control to reduce the occurrence of complications.

Chang Chi Medical Center held a health promotion screening event for "111 World Diabetes Day" to allow the public to understand their own physical condition. (Photo courtesy of Chang Chien Medical Center)

Lin Qingxiong, deputy director of Chang Foundation Medical University, said that if diabetes is not well controlled, not only will wounds have difficulty healing, but it will also affect the function of the eyes, heart and kidneys, and may even require dialysis. People who are getting older, gaining weight, and have higher blood sugar, blood oil and blood pressure must go to a medical institution for examination and treatment. In addition to allowing the public to understand their own physical condition, the "World Diabetes Day" health promotion screening activity also calls on the public to establish the concept of early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment of diabetes prevention and treatment.

Dr. Lin Qingxiong said that the Chang Foundation Diabetes Medical Team can provide high-quality care services. (Photo courtesy of Chang Chien Medical Center)

Dr. Liao Peiyong, director of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, said that we know that diabetic patients need to control the three highs, including blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids; older people should also pay attention to the problems of osteoporosis and sarcopenia, so the health screening activities on World Diabetes Day also include osteoporosis screening and muscle strength testing.

There are no symptoms in the early stages of diabetes. Most people do not realize they have diabetes until they experience symptoms such as eating more, drinking more, urinating more, or losing weight. They have already missed the opportunity to improve or even reverse diabetes early on. According to the National Nutrition and Health Status Change Survey from 2017 to 2019, metabolic syndrome is considered to be closely related to the complications of chronic diseases such as cerebrovascular disease, heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. It will increase the risk of diabetes by 6 times, hypertension by 4 times, hyperlipidemia by 3 times, and stroke and heart disease by 2 times compared to the general population. The prevalence of prediabetes (fasting blood glucose level between 100-125 mg/dL) among Chinese people over 18 years old is about 25%, which means that 1 in 4 people is at high risk of developing diabetes. The survey also found that 66% of this high-risk group had excessive waist circumference and 65% were overweight or obese.

Obesity is also a risk factor for diabetes, and diabetes may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease or kidney disease!

Obesity is also a risk factor for diabetes. About 5-10% of these people will develop diabetes, and the risk of cardiovascular disease or chronic kidney disease also increases. Prediabetes is reversible. Studies have shown that improving an unhealthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of diabetes by more than 50%. Controlling weight and waist circumference, and regularly checking blood sugar levels (the standard fasting blood sugar value is 70-99 mg/dL) can effectively prevent diabetes.