Diabetes is a serious illness that can affect everyone and requires lifelong follow-up.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are an estimated 422 million diabetics worldwide, four times more than 40 years ago. In Brazil, more than 13 million people currently live with the disease, which represents 6.9% of the national population, according to the Brazilian Diabetes Society.
The disease occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin – the hormone that controls blood sugar and provides energy to the body – or when the body is no longer in able to use the insulin that it produces effectively.
Glucose is not bad. It's the fuel of all the cells in the body.
But to be able to use this glucose, the different tissues of the body need the action of insulin.
Complications of diabetes – resulting from a diabetes hormone deficiency – can lead to heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney failure and amputation of the foot or leg.
Despite the risks, many do not know they have the disease and can be prevented by changing their lifestyle.
In this report, BBC News Mundo, the BBC's Spanish service, presents the most frequently asked questions by Internet users to Google and the answers of three experts on this subject.
1) What are the first symptoms of diabetes? And in children?
"The doctor usually informs the patient of his type 2 diabetes based on the results of laboratory tests that measure the level of glucose in the blood.The symptoms are more common in patients with type 1 diabetes When blood sugar stays high for a long time, headaches, hunger, excessive fatigue, urination, blurred vision, and unusual weight loss are some of the symptoms that can develop. "- Victor Montori, endocrinologist and diabetes specialist at Mayo Clinic, in the USA. Type 1 diabetes is most common in children, experts say – Photo: Unsplash / Disclosure "src =" data: image / jpeg; base64, / 9j / 4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD / 2wBDAAMCAgMCAgMDAwMEAwMEBQgFBQQEBQoHBwYIDAoMDAsKCwsNDhIQDQ4RDgsLEBYQERMUFRUVDA8XGBYUGBIUFRT / 2wBDAQMEBAUEBQkFBQkUDQsNFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBT / wgARCAARABkDASIAAhEBAxEB / 8QAGQAAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYEBQcI / 8QAFgEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwQC / 9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAAHpmDKQDZgvsNb8NoKgFEfPt2A0 / wD / xAAeEAABBAEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAYFERYyNf / aAAgBAQABBQIlspCyHU2yPNzJayPbdkShX5E0QynyZe5 8QAGxEAAgIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAwQRIzH // / // 2gAIAQMBAT8BoVHsCudCZSVq3GL6IZ xAAaEQADAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBDET / 9oACAECAQE / AcrqYbnpru6T9B8ZB // EACIQAAIBAgUFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECEQADBBATQnESMkFTYf / aAAgBAQAGPwKnY7aPrG45g3HOhM9EwCftJiiypdgDRRu48eM7 / Gf / xAAfEAABAwUAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABABEhEDFBUWGRwfD / 2gAIAQEAAT8heEKnS4DnUoiOIASC51t MeeUEfVIFEeCwiTPI2IcQMvQtC + fq9NP / 2gAMAwEAAgADAAAAEB4vQP / EAB0RAAEDBQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAEaEQIXGBsfD / 2gAIAQMBAT8QfNHpQOCcNfPDrqlU / wD / xAAdEQABBAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAREhMWGhcYHw / 9oACAECAQE / EEAX8noVpDK8Peo4waxQ / 8QAHxABAAICAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAREhADEQQWGxcaHw / 9oACAEBAAE / EEivrJThouBJJBOVmYADqH43UkDdcAiXr3jLj / B6BmiBDplHrIMCX9xipLrsmIm88v3wv2eGbvn04 // Z "/>
Type 1 According to experts – Photo: Unsplash / Disclosure
"In children, the most common type of diabetes is 1. The symptoms are usually more intense and they appear in a shorter time interval: intense thirst, weight loss, frequent urination, fatigue, not playing the same energy, drowsiness. "- José Agustín Mesa Pérez, Endocrinologist and President of the Latin American Diabetes Association .
"In recent decades, we have witnessed an alarming increase in type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents, linked to an increase in obesity and sedentary lifestyles." – Fabiana Vazquez, member of the Argentine Diabetes Society.
2) When is blood sugar dangerous?
"On an empty stomach, a normal blood sugar is between 70 and 110 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dl)., But insulin guarantees their rapid return to the normal range (usually within 2 hours). greater than 180 mg / dl maintained for more than 2 hours are toxic to cells and may cause, if repeated too often, permanent damage in the kidneys, eyes, heart and nerves of the legs ".
[1 9659013] Some of the symptoms of diabetes are very tired, thirsty and wishing to urinate beyond normal – Photo: Unplash
"In the long run all the body is affected if the values are high.For this reason, diabetics should have a blood glucose level of between 70 and 180 mg / dL for most of the day. "- Fabiana Vazquez, member of the Argentina Diabetes Society
"Patients with type 2 diabetes may begin to dehydrate when the blood sugar level exceeds 200 mg / dl, but people with no other health problems can maintain high blood sugar levels. For example, when the level is too high, above 300 mg / dL, the risk is greater and requires special attention. "- Victor Montori, Diabetes Endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic, USA
" It's also important to talk about low glucose levels. People with diabetes, including those with certain complications, should avoid having glucose values below 70 mg / dl on an empty stomach and after eating. "- José Agustín Mesa Pérez, Endocrinologist and President of the Latin American Diabetes Association 19 19659009] 3) What are the differences between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes?
" In the clbadification Of the diabetes, there are four types, but in practice, it is expressed as type 1 or type 2. The 1 is usually in young people under 30, lean and without a history of diabetes in the family. In general, the disease is manifested by acute symptoms. Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in adults over 40 years old, closely related to overweight or obesity, with an abdominal perimeter greater than 80 cm in women and 90 cm in men. It is also badociated with other risk factors, such as high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure and fat in the liver. "- José Agustín Mesa Pérez, endocrinologist and president of the Latin American Diabetes Association
" In type 1 diabetes, the proper use of insulin (laborious and expensive task) offers to these patients the possibility of a life without limits. Patients with type 2 diabetes, because they have the most benign type of disease, can control it with diet, exercise, stress management and medication (pills, injections, insulin). "- Victor Montori, Diabetes Endocrinologist Specialist Clinic of the United States
4) Can Diabetes Heal? What are the symptoms of diabetes?
"Diabetes does not have a cure, but if it is well controlled, the person can lead a normal life." There is no way of knowing who will be diabetic nor how to avoid it. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand On the other hand, its triggers are very clear and can be avoided – or delayed in the case of people with genetic predisposition – by maintaining an adequate weight, benefiting from a healthy and balanced diet and exercising regularly. – Fabiana Vazquez, member of the Argentine Diabetes Society.
"Pancreas transplantation is an aggressive alternative that often resolves the lack of insulin in type 1 diabetes." – Victor Montori, Diabetes Endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic, USA.
"There is no cure, and we have to be very careful about liars and quacks who promise it, but it's a perfectly controllable chronic disease, and the sooner it's diagnosed and the reduction of risk factors intensely worked, other complications can be avoided. "- José Agustín Mesa Pérez, Endocrinologist and President of the Latin American Diabetes Association.
5) What foods are at the origin of diabetes?
"There is no food that alone can lead to the development of diabetes." The confusion around this issue arises because the prehistoric man needed to save energy. and through insulin-saving mechanisms, but with the time and availability of food, we started having problems: the excess energy consumption driven by industrial development. Canned foods for which digestion is not prepared. Excess deposit of calories in adipose tissue, liver and other structures has begun to increase, resulting in the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes , obesity, cancer, etc. "- José Agustín Mesa Pérez, Endocrinologist and President of the Latin American Diabetes Association
" Good consumption of vegetables (raw and cooked and various colors) and fruits can help balance the diet and incorporate natural antioxidants that help prevent diabetes. It is known that high-fat diets, especially those of animal origin, as well as simple carbohydrates (sugars) and industrialized foods, are linked to a greater propensity to develop type diabetes. 2. Fast food and excessive snacks are one of the causes of the increased frequency of detection of type 2 diabetes in children. "- Fabiana Vazquez, member of the Argentine Diabetes Society
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