Diabetes is a chronic condition that appears when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, a hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood, or when the body does not use it effectively.
Diabetes symptoms include increased thirst, urinating more than usual, tiredness and weight loss, wounds that take time to heal, itchy genitals or frequent fungal appearance, blurred vision, nausea or vomiting, desire to eat in large quantities, and blackish coloration on the neck and/or elbows.
There are several types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, which is characterized by the absence of insulin synthesis, type 2 diabetes, which has its origin in the body’s inability to use it, this as a result of excess weight, lack of physical activity, and poor diet, and gestational diabetes, which occurs in women during pregnancy. Genetics also plays a key role in its development.
This disease ranks second among the causes of mortality in Mexico, ranking only below cardiovascular diseases. This means that 15.4% of Mexicans die from this disease, according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, INEGI).
Some of the consequences are blindness, kidney failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, and amputation of the lower limbs.
Although diabetes is not curable, it is possible to control it with proper treatment to achieve a good quality of life.
Diabetes prevention
Improving lifestyle habits is important in preventing or delaying diabetes onset.
We share some recommendations:
- Keep a healthy weight.
- Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
- Eat a healthy diet, avoiding sugar and saturated fat.
- Avoid tobacco use.
- Moderate the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
At our Nutrition & Obesity Center, we design tailored plans to achieve a healthy lifestyle as well as prevent and control metabolic diseases to look and feel better.
Fuente:
https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
https://fmdiabetes.org/estadisticas-en-mexico/
https://www.imss.gob.mx/preguntas-de-salud/preguntas-frecuentes-sobre-diabetes
