Can diabetes be cured? Do only fat people get diabetes? Pharmacists solve five myths at once

Diabetes has become the new national disease! According to statistics from the National Health Administration's "2017-2020 National Nutritional Health Status Change Survey," the prevalence of diabetes among Taiwanese over the age of 18 is as high as 11%, and it is estimated that the number of current diabetes patients has exceeded 2.5 million. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that among the top ten causes of death in 2013, diabetes ranked fifth, with 11,625 deaths, indicating that diabetes has seriously threatened the health of the Chinese people.

Chen Shumi, a pharmacist specializing in diabetes prevention and treatment, said that most people in China lack health education knowledge about diabetes and even have many myths about it. The five most common myths have caused people to be afraid to accept treatment from doctors, causing diabetes to continue to worsen, ultimately leading to complications and even death.

Pharmacist Chen Shumi pointed out that among the top 10 causes of death in Taiwan, diabetes has climbed to fourth place, and at least 1.67 million people in Taiwan suffer from diabetes. Generally speaking, family heredity, obesity, excessive drinking, viral infection, etc. may all lead to the occurrence of diabetes. In addition, if blood sugar is not well controlled, patients are prone to complications related to the retina, blood vessels, nerves and kidneys. In severe cases, blindness, amputation or even death may occur.

To stay away from diabetes, obese people should lose weight first

Type 1 diabetes is related to multiple genetic inheritance, while type 2 diabetes is closely related to daily lifestyle in addition to genetic inheritance. According to statistics, if one of their parents or grandparents has diabetes, their children are 30% to 40% more likely to develop diabetes than the average person, putting them at high risk of developing diabetes.

If one of their parents or grandparents has had diabetes, their children are 30% to 40% more likely to develop diabetes than the average person, making them a high-risk group for diabetes.

Other high-risk groups include those with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, multiple ovarian cysts and gestational diabetes. These people are usually chubby, so weight loss becomes the top priority in preventing and controlling diabetes, especially for high-risk groups who are obese. It is recommended to lose 10 kilograms first to reduce the risk of complications.

5 Myths About Diabetes

Q1: Can diabetes be cured?

A: When diabetes is diagnosed, 50% of the pancreatic beta cells have actually disappeared and cannot be restored, so it is impossible to recover. But there is no need to be discouraged. As long as blood sugar is properly controlled, diabetics can still have the same quality of life as ordinary people.

Q2: Is eating sweets frequently the main cause of diabetes?

A: Sweets are not the main cause of diabetes, and not eating sweets does not mean that you will not get diabetes. In fact, as long as the amount is properly controlled, diabetics can still eat all kinds of food normally. It should be noted that although sugar substitutes do not contain sugar, we still need to pay attention to the problem of excessive calories.

Q3: Only fat people will get diabetes?

A: Although overweight people are more likely to develop diabetes, lack of exercise is the main cause of diabetes. In addition to the amount of exercise, people with too much body fat are also a high-risk group. Whether the body fat is too high can be measured by waist circumference. Men's waist circumference should be less than 90 cm and women's waist circumference should be less than 80 cm. It is not judged by weight.

Although overweight people are more likely to develop diabetes, lack of exercise is the main cause of diabetes.

Q4: Is type 2 diabetes limited to adults?

A: People in Taiwan often believe that children only suffer from type 1 diabetes caused by problems with the immune system. However, due to the influence of Westernized diet and lack of exercise, the age of patients has gradually decreased, and has even spread to elementary school children.

Q5: Can I stop taking the medicine once my blood sugar level is stable?

A: High blood sugar can only be detected through measurement. During medication discontinuation, high blood sugar may persist without the patient realizing it. By the time symptoms appear, it is often too late to seek medical attention. For diabetic patients, the biggest threat is actually complications, such as retinal detachment, kidney disease, foot disease, etc. If they reduce or stop taking the medicine on their own, the condition will be aggravated due to blood sugar imbalance.