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Diabetics are not
alone
BY JOAQUIN ORAMAS
DIABETES mellitus is a
chronic disease characterized by excess glucose in
the blood due to the pancreas not producing
insulin (a hormone that converts glucose into
energy) or insulin not being employed in an
optimum manner by the body.
It is an illness that,
according to specialists, will affect around 300
million people worldwide by 2010. In Cuba there
are currently more than 200,000 diagnosed
diabetics.
There are two variants of
this illness. In diabetes Type 1, the insulin
producing cells of the pancreas self-destruct due
to an autoimmune phenomenon, this in turn disrupts
the metabolism of glucose.
Type 1 usually occurs in
under-15s and in young adults and is the less
common variant. Type 2 accounts for 90% of all
cases. With this variant the pancreas produces
insulin, but when it goes out to muscle or fat
tissues, it encounters resistance due to a genetic
predisposition to, above all, obesity.
An adequate distribution
of diet and physical exercise are the fundamental
treatments for this illness. Also according to the
variant and to the state of each case, injectable
insulin, oral hypoglucemiants or tablet insulin
are prescribed. It is very important that patients
become familiar with their condition and maintain
control of it by following the strict advice of a
doctor. This will help prevent problems related to
this condition from developing.
Chronic complications are
the most serious threat to those who are affected
by this illness. For this reason, during treatment,
doctors insist on strict control of the illness
and of other risk factors, such as hypertension,
obesity, high cholesterol, sedentarism and smoking.
Among other consequences, lesions may appear that
cause changes in the blood circulation of the skin
and bone tissue, which makes the feet of a
diabetic more vulnerable to skin or minor wound
infections. In patient orientations, physicians
emphasize foot care, among other attentions.
A Diabetic Foot Clinic is
soon to be opened in Cuba with the specific goal
of improving the prevention, education, early
detection of high-risk cases and the dynamic
treatment of diabetics. The institution, attached
to the Endocrinology Institute’s Diabetic
Attention Center, will serve as a national
reference for the opening of similar facilities
throughout the country where multidisciplinary
teams of endocrinologists, angiologists and
interns will be trained.
Dr. Orestes Faget Cepero,
secretary of the Cuban Diabetes Society, explained
that in this center the specialist services of
first aid workers, health educators, nurses,
orthopedists, physiatrists, psychologists, and
podiatrists will also be offered.
The clinical
endocrinologist expert emphasized that family
doctors should play an essential role in the
prevention of diabetes. In this way it is possible
to avoid limb amputations in 80% of cases.
In celebration of World
Diabetes Day, November 14th, Cuba developed a
program of activities that included a scientific
symposium in which experts from various
specialties spoke on the disease that is a growing
health problem.
This year’s event was
dedicated to diabetes and foot care, given that
70% of individuals who have suffered a lower limb
amputation are diabetics.
People who aspire to
prolong a quality life should pay close attention
to the possibility of developing diabetes. Its
symptoms are: excessive thirst, a frequent need to
urinate, sudden loss of weight, extreme exhaustion
and blurred vision. The overweight and in
particular the obese are especially susceptible to
the condition. According to statistics, diabetes
mellitus is a worldwide threat that each year
causes the death of three million people and is
the fourth leading cause of death in developed
countries.
Founded in 1950, the
International Diabetes Federation is made up of
more than 185 member associations in more than 145
countries. It dedicated this year’s World Diabetes
Day to the anniversary of Frederick Banting, who
together with Charles Best, conceived of the idea
that led to the discovery of insulin in 1922. |
