Diabetes prevention – the time to act is now!

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease. About 90% of all diabetes patients suffer from the type 2 variant, in which either the pancreas no longer produces enough of the hormone insulin or the body ceases to be able to use it effectively. The cells of the body need glucose to produce energy, and the role of insulin is to transport this from the blood into the cells. If this mechanism is disrupted, the sugar remains in the blood, meaning that sugar levels rise. Should this become a permanent state of affairs, it can do serious damage to blood vessels and organs. The consequences range from circulatory disorders and vascular damage, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes, impaired vision, kidney failure and nerve damage. One widely known and feared complication is diabetic foot, which if left untreated can result in multiple toes or even the entire foot being amputated.

On average, it takes seven years for diabetes to be identified. It is estimated that half of sufferers are unaware that they have the disease. This is because neither prediabetes nor early-stage diabetes make you feel unwell. By this point, however, they are already causing long-term damage. For people at increased risk, it is therefore important to know their personal risk and act early.

Because the good news is that even small but consistent lifestyle changes have a big effect. You don’t need to be performing physical feats – regular, moderate exercise and a balanced diet are often enough. The occasional indulgence is OK too. In a best-case scenario, diabetes can be prevented altogether, or its onset can be delayed by years. Making lifestyle changes not only improves your quality of life, but also means healthier, carefree years of life.

High-risk groups

The following factors increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes:

• Obesity
• Insufficient physical activity
• Smoking
• A family history of multiple diabetes sufferers
• Previous gestational diabetes

Prediabetes

If you have prediabetes, your blood sugar level is too high but you do not yet have diabetes. There are usually no specific symptoms. Every year, 5-10% of prediabetics go on to develop diabetes. Even at the prediabetic stage, the kidneys, nerves and eyes may already be being damaged.

Symptoms of diabetes

• Frequent urination
• Unusually strong thirst
• Extreme tiredness
• Irritability
• Blurred vision
• Cuts or wounds are slow to heal
• Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
• Recurrent inflammation of the skin, gums or bladder

Diabetes is often only detected following complications such as a heart attack or stroke.
Source: diabetesschweiz.ch

Both for risk groups and for people already suffering from prediabetes, it is important – and possible – to take active steps to halt the progression of this disease.

Preventive action no. 1: Exercise

Experts recommend 150 minutes of exercise per week (30 minutes a day for five days). That includes all forms of physical activity, whether in your everyday life, in your job or by playing sport, as long as it causes your heart rate and breathing to accelerate and works up a sweat.

Preventive activity no. 2: Eat a healthy and enjoyable diet

• Fruit and vegetables every day
• High-fibre (wholegrain) carbohydrates
• Sugar-free drinks
• Plant oils containing unsaturated fatty acids
• Favour plant-based sources of protein (e.g. pulses and soya) or animal proteins such as fish, poultry and low-fat dairy products
• Minimise your intake of red meat

Preventive activity no. 3: Weight management

People who are at a healthy weight should avoid gaining any additional weight. If you are overweight, losing even a small amount has benefits. Reducing your body weight by just 5-10% will significantly cut your risk of developing diabetes.