Hailed as one of the infamous “Silent Killers”-Diabetes or Diabetes mellitus ranked fourth among the chronic diseases in the Philippines. Over the years in global scope, there have been disappointing diabetes trends despite efforts to curb the rising prevalence. Unfortunately, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, diabetes cases skyrocketed even more reaching an epidemic proportion.

Currently, there are three main types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes happens when the immune system attacks and kills cells in the pancreas that create insulin. Hence, your body could not utilize insulin making you need to take insulin every day. Meanwhile, Type 2 Diabetes stems from a condition known as insulin resistance wherein your cells fail to use insulin properly. Gestational Diabetes, on the other hand, is diagnosed to women with high blood sugar during their pregnancy.

According to recent data from the preliminary count of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), deaths due to diabetes mellitus recorded a 6.6 percent share of total deaths in the country excluding the relevant numbers of left undiagnosed. With this fact, it stresses the importance of awareness of the risk factors of developing Diabetes. Currently, the risk factors for Juvenile Diabetes or Type 1 Diabetes are not as clear as for prediabetes and type 2 Diabetes. The known risk factors include:

• Family history: Higher chances of developing this disease if you have a parent, brother, or sister with type 1 diabetes.
• Age: Regardless of age, you can have type 1 diabetes. 
• Genetic: Patients with type 1 diabetes are believed to have a genetic susceptibility to developing this disease.

Meanwhile, certain risk factors related to both lifestyle choices and medical conditions can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

• Prediabetes: Being prediabetes increases your chances of developing Type 2 Diabetes within 5 years, as studies suggest.
• Obesity: Nearly nine out of 10 people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese, according to the Obesity Society.
• Age: Insulin sensitivity weakens by the age of 45 years or older.
• Family history: Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes.
• Unhealthy lifestyle: Having a sedentary lifestyle or being physically active less than 3 times a week contributes to obesity, which is also linked with increased type 2 diabetes risk. Cigarette smoking and consuming a diet rich in processed meat, fat, sweets, and red meats can increase the risk.
• Experienced gestational diabetes (GDM): Women who were diagnosed with GDM or to a baby who weighed over 9 pounds usually develop type 2 Diabetes later on.
• Ethnicity: African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian, or Alaska Native people have a higher risk.
• Co-morbidities: Having diseases like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, or lipid abnormalities is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

Medical experts emphasize that the first and most critical step in fighting off this debilitating disease is knowing your risk. Hence, if you have any check on the box of the following risk factors above, it is best to visit your doctor to calculate your odds of having diabetes. Furthermore, consulting a registered Nutritionist-Dietitian is a great help in managing the disease or as early as the prediabetes phase to efficiently guide you in optimizing changes in your dietary patterns.

As we celebrate Diabetes Awareness week, may we understand the fact that diabetes can affect all people. Hence, we must do the necessary actions to spare ourselves from becoming part of the diabetes statistics. By simply educating ourselves on its risk factors, paying more attention to our diet, and making conscious efforts to do healthful changes, we can stave off diabetes and enjoy a healthy, full life.

//JBC

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes Risk Factors. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/risk-factors/

National Library of Medicine. Diabetes Mellitus. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551501/

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). 2022 Causes of Deaths in the Philippines (Preliminary as of 31 March 2022). Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3wpyvGh

Universal Health News. How Do You Get Diabetes? Retrieved from https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/diabetes/how-do-you-get-diabetes/