Diabetes is one of the most common degenerative diseases today. In 2019, the International Diabetes Federation Organization estimated that 463 million people aged 20-79 years worldwide had diabetes. This figure is predicted to increase to 578 million in 2030. This is because diabetes is closely related to a sedentary lifestyle (infrequent movement) and a diet high in sugar and fat, which has become commonplace in today's society. Come on, get to know more facts about Diabetes!
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic disease in the form of a metabolic disorder characterized by blood sugar levels that exceed normal limits.
What are the Types of Diabetes?
The cause of the increase in blood sugar levels is the basis for grouping the following types of Diabetes Mellitus:
- Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
This type of diabetes mellitus is caused by an increase in blood sugar levels due to damage to pancreatic beta cells so insulin production does not exist at all. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to digest the sugar in the blood. Patients with this type of diabetes require insulin intake from outside the body to process glucose because there is no insulin production in the body.
What is the mechanism?
Carbohydrates from the food we eat will be converted by the enzyme amylase into glucose in our bodies. The glucose then enters the bloodstream. However, because the pancreas produces little or no insulin, very little insulin enters the bloodstream. As a result, sugar or glucose will accumulate in the blood because it cannot be processed into energy due to a lack of insulin in the body.
- Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is caused by an increase in blood sugar due to a decrease in low insulin secretion by the pancreas gland.
What is the mechanism?
Type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, heredity, and other factors will cause insulin resistance. As a result, the muscles are unable to use glucose. The secretion of insulin secreted by the pancreas into the bloodstream also decreases, thereby exacerbating the state of insulin resistance in the muscles.
- Gestational Type Diabetes Mellitus
Gestational diabetes mellitus is characterized by an increase in blood sugar during pregnancy. This disorder usually occurs at week 24 of pregnancy and blood sugar levels will return to normal after delivery.
What Are the Risk Factors for Diabetes Mellitus?
Like other degenerative diseases, diabetes mellitus also has risk factors or precipitating factors that contribute to the incidence of the disease. Efforts to control risk factors can prevent diabetes mellitus and reduce the fatality rate or disease severity. Diabetes risk factors consist of non-modifiable factors and modifiable factors.
Risk factors that cannot be modified are race, ethnicity, age, gender, family history of diabetes mellitus, history of giving birth to babies >4000 grams, and history of birth with low birth weight (LBW or <2500 grams). Meanwhile, modifiable risk factors are overweight, abdominal/central obesity, lack of physical activity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, unhealthy and unbalanced diet or high-calorie diet, prediabetes conditions, and smoking habits. Here's the explanation:
- Based on the Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) in 2018, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus was higher in women than men with a ratio of 1.78% compared to 1.21%. When compared with 2013 data, the prevalence in women showed an increase while the prevalence in men showed a decrease.
- The prevalence of diabetes mellitus shows an increase along with the age of the patient. This pattern reaches its peak at the age of 55-64 years and decreases after passing that age range. This pattern of the increase occurred in both Riskesdas 2013 and 2018. The rise in prevalence from 2013 to 2018 occurred in the age group of 45 to >75 years.
- Respondents with a college/university education level had the highest proportion of diabetes mellitus in Riskesdas in 2013 and 2018. This is assumed to be related to lifestyle and access to case detection in health services.
- Diabetes mellitus sufferers who live in urban areas are higher than those who live in rural areas. It can be assumed that there is better access to case detection in health services in urban areas, so diabetes mellitus detection is easier to do.
Here's a little introduction about diabetes mellitus that you need to know, Ladies. If you have risk factors for diabetes mellitus, it's a good idea to maintain your diet and exercise regularly from an early age. Better prevent than cure, right?
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Source: Pusat Data dan Informasi. (2020). InfoDATIN: Tetap Produktif, Cegah, dan Atasi Dibetes Melitus. Jakarta: Kementerian Kesehatan RI