The number of adult diabetics around the world reached to 60 million people

Prof. Dr. Banu Elçin Yoldaşcan, academic member from the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Cyprus International University (CIU) stated that the number of people with diabetes in the adult age group has reached to 60 million worldwide, and around 4 million deaths in the same age group are caused by diabetes.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that results from insufficient hormone insulin hormone that balances the sugar level in the blood or it cannot be used in the body despite being secreted enough, it shows that it progresses with high blood sugar level, and it causes serious damage to heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves over time.

Yoldaşcan stated that the most common type of diabetes is Type 2 adult-type diabetes and it usually occurs in adults when the body becomes insulin resistant or not making enough insulin. Type 1 diabetes occurs at a younger age when there is a lack of insulin production in the body, so the treatments are different. Both types damage the vessels and treatment compliance and blood sugar should be controlled to prevent complications.

It was explained that, in Type 1 diabetes, genetic predisposition is more common, while in adult-type diabetes, first-degree diabetes history, cardiovascular disease history, being diagnosed as overweight, high blood pressure, babies born over 4 kilos, and those diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy, those with low physical activity formed the risk group.

Yoldaşcan recommended that patients’ weight should be regularly controlled, and blood pressure and blood sugar should be monitored: “It is important not to use cigarettes and alcohol, and do a general body cleaning, oral and dental health, skincare, foot care, and get the suggested vaccinations done”.

It was also noted that the principles of nutrition should be taken into account and Yoldaşcan said: “Hunger is as dangerous as the intake of food that mixes quickly with blood. 55-60% of the daily energy should be obtained from carbohydrates, 12-15% from proteins and 25-30% from fats, and attention should be paid to the daily postal food consumption”.