If this worrying trend continues, it is projected that one in three adults in Malaysia will be diabetic by 2025.
“For every diabetic, there are three people with prediabetes,” Dr Inthirani Sivarajah tells FMT in conjunction with World Diabetes Day today.
“So for every 10 people, you have two diabetics, out of which one is undiagnosed, and five will become diabetic within five years if they don’t make lifestyle changes.
“These figures are simply mind-boggling,” says the retired doctor, who is the treasurer of Diabetes Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur and a part-time lecturer at the International Medical University.
What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
People who are at risk include those who are overweight; those who have parents or siblings with diabetes; women who have had diabetes during pregnancy or given birth to a baby weighing more than 4kg; and those who have hypertension, high cholesterol, or polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition in which the ovaries produce an abnormal amount of the male sex hormone androgen.
“These people have to check their sugar levels regularly. Apart from going for annual blood tests, get your own glucometer so you can do monthly checks,” Inthirani says.
Prediabetes doesn’t usually come with any signs or symptoms, and a person will usually be prediabetic for two to five years before becoming diabetic.
“With early detection, you can delay the onset of diabetes for about 10-15 years if you are careful,” she says, adding that prediabetes is reversible.
“But you have to control your food, lose weight, exercise, and change your lifestyle, and you have to do this throughout your life.”
Two extremes
According to Inthirani, those diagnosed with diabetes usually fall into two extremes – those who make drastic changes to their diets and lifestyles upon diagnosis, and those who remain in denial because their bodies look good and are functioning well.
“What they fail to realise is, excess sugar in the blood can cause damage to blood vessels all over the body,” she says.
Diabetics are at a risk of many serious complications. Among them is diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that typically results in numbness in one’s hands and feet.
“As a result, you might get injured and not be aware of it,” she says, adding that this could lead to bacterial infections.
Diabetic retinopathy, on the other hand, is caused by damaged blood vessels in the eyes that could lead to blindness, while diabetic nephropathy could lead to kidney failure.
“Some say their kidneys are failing because of their medication but don’t realise that overconsumption of sugar caused the damage in the first place,” Inthirani points out.
Diabetics also have a higher risk of getting strokes and “silent” heart attacks.
“That’s why it’s very important that once you’re diagnosed with diabetes, you should control it as much as possible from day one and not after complications set in.”
The perils of complacency
In this day and age, information related to health and wellbeing are readily available at one’s fingertips. Yet, Inthirani says, many are complacent.
“There are those who say because their parents have diabetes, it’s inevitable they would have it, too – so why not just eat and be happy while they can?
“They don’t understand that because their parents have diabetes, they now have to be more careful and stricter with their diets.”
Inthirani also says one should discuss their health issues with those they trust as it can be difficult to manage things alone.
“But you should always seek professional advice and follow a proper regimen,” she states.
While there are many diabetes medications in the marketplace, Inthirani says there is no cure for the condition.
“You can only do damage control or make it progress slowly,” she says. “Diabetes is the mother of all diseases.”
To keep up to date on events and updates by Diabetes Malaysia, check out its Facebook page.