World Diabetes Day is celebrated annually on 14th November and the theme for this year is “Family and Diabetes: Diabetes concerns every family”.
Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disease in which the body has high blood sugar level, either because the body does not produce enough insulin or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin or both.
2 Major Causes of Diabetes:
- Diabetes Type 1: It develops when the insulin-producing cells in the body have been destroyed and the body is unable to produce any insulin. The exact cause of diabetes type 1 is still unknown but genetic is a big factor.
- Diabetes Type 2: It develops when the insulin-producing cells in the body are unable to produce enough insulin, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly. This type of diabetes can be inherited by family member or cause by unhealthy lifestyle factors such as obesity or poor diet.
Long-term complications of diabetes develop gradually. The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar, the higher the risk of complications. Possible complications include:
- Coronary heart disease
- Stroke
- Kidney disease
- Visual disturbance
- Foot disease
Diabetes is a common medical condition which may affect anyone but it can be well-controlled through diet, medication and exercises.