Glucose is the fuel that cells use and a hormone manufactured by the pancreas is needed, which is insulin, so that glucose is introduced into the cells and metabolize.The balance in this mechanism is essential to avoid the appearance of diabetes.
WHO defines diabetes as a chronic disease that appears when the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin or when the organism does not effectively use the insulin it produces.
As Dr. Juan Girbés, a specialist in Endocrinology and Nutrition at the Arnau de Vilanova Hospital (Valencia), explains to Infosalus, prevalence studies show that approximately 43 % of cases are without diagnosing.That is because at the beginning it does not give symptoms and the evolution is slow, being generally diagnosed in a casual review or a routine analytical.
Girbés points out that screening campaigns or early diagnosis that are carried out, especially in health centers, by primary care doctors, are reducing the number of non -diagnosed cases, and it is demonstrated that the most early treatment prevents anddelays chronic diabetes complications.
Dr. Girbés presents Infosalus the most important issues we need to know about type 2 diabetes:
1. What is type 2 diabetes?
In the case of type 2 diabetes there is an inefficiency of cells to use insulin, which is initially compensated with an insulin overproduction by the pancreas, and when the pancreas cannot compensate for it, it is when diabetes appears, manifested with increase in theblood glucose.
"The study di@bet.es showed that the prevalence of diabetes is 13.8% from 18 years. However, it is not just as frequent at all ages, increasing the frequency with age. From the60 years more than 25 % of people have type 2 diabetes, "says Girbés.
2. What makes different diabetes different?
Although there are a variety of types of diabetes, to answer this issue we must distinguish between the most important types by their frequency:
* Type 1 diabetes is more frequent in young people and is due to the destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas, which manufacture insulin.These patients need to be treated with insulin from the beginning.
* Type 2 diabetes, is the typical adult diabetes.It begins with few symptoms and initially does not usually specify insulin.It is associated with family history of diabetes and obesity, especially that of abdominal predominance.In general, it is treated with oral antidiabetics, although over time it can specify insulin for control.
* Gestational diabetes, begins in pregnancy and is generally resolved after childbirth although these women are more risk of developing type 2 diabetes later.
3. Obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes
There are other important risk factors, such as genetic predisposition and age.But obesity is the most important risk factor that can be modified with food and lifestyle modifications.
The excess abdominal fat is what is most related to the presence of type 2 diabetes. "The fat accumulated in the abdomen induces metabolic alterations that are accompanied by greater resistance to the action of insulin, so that itInsulin is not able to control glucose and hyperglycemia occurs, that the main analytical manifestation of type 2 diabetes, "says the doctor.
4. Other risk factors for type 2 diabetes
There are other factors such as sedentary lifestyle, which is also associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.Diabetes and excess weight.
In addition there are other cardiovascular risk factors that are usually associated and that it is convenient to monitor such as smoking, hypertension and dyslipipemia."Although it is important to control these risk factors in all patients, in the case of those with diabetes they become special importance," says Girbés.
5. How does Type 2 diabetes affect your health
In reality there is no body organ that is free of the detrimental effect of hyperglycemia.Type 2 diabetes can present complications in the eyes (diabetic retinopathy), in the kidneys (diabetic nephropathy), nerves (diabetic neuropathy) and in blood vessels (in the form of arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction and stroke).
"What happens is that these complications are established slowly, hence the importance of good control from the beginning, and the early detection of those complications," says Girbés that adds that above all it is very important to know that the cardiovascular risk of thePeople with diabetes is more than double that of people without diabetes.
6. Recognize prediabetes and prevent type 2 diabetes
Prediabetes is the pre -diabetes phase that reports that the person has many possibilities of having diabetes.In general, this concept is defined by the existence of analytical alterations of glucose, which are above normal values, but without reaching the values that occur in diabetes.Predicabets are considered if the glucose is eased between 100 and 125 mg/dl, or if after an oral glucose overload, blood glucose is between 140 and 199 mg/dl.
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented from avoiding obesity and having moderate physical activity."This is especially important in those of more risk, such as those who present a family history of diabetes, women who have had gestational diabetes or those who present glycemia in the limit, which is prediabetes," says the specialist.
The general recommendation is to perform a balanced and cardiosaludable diet.It is important to control the amount of rapid absorption carbohydrates (sugar, sweets, juices, etc.) and the limitation of saturated fats (red meat, sausages, pastries, etc.).The consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, integral cereals and skimmed dairy should be stimulated.Olive oil, preferably extra virgin, should be the main source of fat due to its nutritional quality, but nuts or olives are also recommended, all remembering the need to limit fat consumption.
7. Control the disease through knowledge
Type 2 diabetes can be controlled in its most early phases with hygienic-dietary measures (diet and exercise), but in general it usually specifies drugs, in the oral beginning but over time it is very frequent that injectable insulin is required.
"It is very important to avoid therapeutic inertia, which consists in delayThe treatment is modified thinking that lifestyle measures will be intensified and with it the visits occur.
"The best way to control the disease is that the patient himself participates in that control, for which diabetological education is essential," says the specialist.The patient must be instructed in the modifications of diet and lifestyle, and also in the consequences of good or poor control of the disease.
"For proper diabetological education, which would be a part of the so -called therapeutic education, nursing participation is necessary.Within the treatment of diabetes, education is an essential part and thus we must consider it from the beginning, as another part of the treatment, as well as the pills or the diet, "concludes Girbés.