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Did you know there are 246 million people throughout the world suffering from diabetes?
Diabetes is a silent killer that knows no age barriers. This a chronic disease can lead to diabetic retinopathy (visual impairment), diabetic neuropathy (nerves impairment) as well as kidney failure. There are 2 types of diabetes:
- Type 1 Diabetes: the body cannot produce insulin, thus it affects the way your body uses food. This can be treated with diet control and insulin injections
- Type 2 Diabetes: the body produces insufficient insulin or body cells are unable to use the insulin properly
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In Malaysia, over 98% of about 1.2 million diabetics have Type 2 diabetes, which is also now increasingly recognized as being part of a cluster of cardiovascular diseases that make up the metabolic syndrome disorder.
The number one contributing factor to diabetes is family history which accounts for almost 60% of all cases. Other major risk factors include obesity, which is closely related to a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Age is also a causative factor, with those aged 40 and above especially vulnerable.
The good news is that it is possible to cut your risk of getting diabetes just by practicing simple lifestyle measures:
-Healthy diet: Eating more fruits and vegetables, less sugar and saturated fats are important in maintaining appropriate weight and lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes. Supplements with Nitric Oxide (NO) are also recommended as the presence of NO in the body signals blood vessels to relax and wide, thus lowering blood pressure, as discovered by Nobel Laureate Dr Ferid Murad.
-Increased physical activity – 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, five days a week, is enough to promote good health and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
-Weight loss – It is estimated that well over 50% type 2 diabetes cases are avoidable if excessive weight gain in adults can be prevented
-Quit smoking – people with diabetes are at greater risk of dying from coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease than people without diabetes. Smoking exacerbates this risk.
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