Key Facts about Diabetes
1. People with diabetes seem to develop more severe COVID disease.
This is because people with diabetes there is more inflammation in the body.
2. Diabetes is a major cause of heart attacks, kidney failure, stroke and blindness
3. The number of people with diabetes rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 and the number is increasing!
4. Between 2000 and 2016, there was a 5% increase in premature mortality from diabetes. Premature mortality refers to deaths occurring too early i.e. at any age lower than the life expectancy
5. In 2019, diabetes was the ninth leading cause of death with an estimated 1.5 million deaths directly caused by diabetes
So the data is clear, diabetes is something we both need to avoid!
What Is Diabetes?
Three things happen when there is excess sugar in your system
What causes Diabetes
If your pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t make good use of it, glucose builds up in your bloodstream, leaving your cells starved for energy.
When glucose builds up in your bloodstream, this is known as hyperglycemia.
The symptoms of hyperglycemia include thirst, nausea, and shortness of breath.
Low glucose, known as hypoglycemia, also causes many symptoms, including shakiness, dizziness, and loss of consciousness.
Hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia can quickly become life-threatening, guess why! How long can you survive without breath?
Type 1 diabetes: Type 1 diabetes happen when body cannot make insulin and requires daily administration of insulin.
Type 2 diabetes: In type 2 diabetes, your body has become resistant to the effects of insulin.
Conclusion
Reference
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
https://columbiasurgery.org/pancreas/pancreas-and-its-functions
https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/insulin