Access to Diabetes Care: Know Your Risk, Know Your Response
1 in 22 African adults are living with diabetes, and over 1 in 2 (54%) such people are undiagnosed. Unfortunately, not having an official diagnosis does not change the condition. Instead, it increases the risk of disease-related complications and deaths, especially as the preliminary symptoms may go unnoticed.
Hence, the focus of the 2023 World Diabetes Day campaign on promoting knowledge of personal risk. The aim is to highlight the need for access to adequate information and care to help delay or prevent the condition. In cases where diabetes is diagnosed, that ensures timely treatment and management to prevent comorbidity.
Know Your Risk
Type 2 Diabetes is the most common type and it has several risk factors associated with the condition. They include the following:
- Family history of diabetes
- Unhealthy diet
- Physical inactivity
- Overweight and Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Increasing age
- History of gestational diabetes
- Poor nutrition during pregnancy
- Ethnicity: Some ethnic groups are more predisposed to diabetes and poor glycemic control e.g. Africans and Asians.
- Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT): IGT is a category of higher than normal blood glucose, but below the threshold for diagnosing diabetes.
There are questionnaires avaliable as a simple, practical and inexpensive way to quickly identify people who may be at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Then their level of risk can be further investigated if needed.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) also developed a type 2 diabetes online diabetes risk assessment. The test, designed by Professors from Finland's Health Institute, is based on the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC). It aims to predict an individual’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes within the next ten years.
Know Your Response
- Patient Education
Patient education is the role healthcare professionals play, besides helping with timely diagnosis. Thus, access to sufficient training and resources is required to aid the patients make informed decisions. It also helps to detect complications early and provide the best possible care.
2. Proper Management
More than 90% of diabetes care is self-care, so people living with the condition need awareness and access to the correct information and best available medicines. They also require tools to support self-care, which is vital to delay or prevent complications.
3. Prevention and Early Detection
Knowing your risk is just half the process, and matters little if you do not take appropriate action. For people at risk of type 2 diabetes, knowing what to do is crucial to support prevention, early diagnosis and timely treatment.
4. Lifestyle Changes
There is evidence from studies in the USA, Finland, China, India and Japan that lifestyle changes can help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes in people at risk. That involves a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight. Regular screenings and check-ups, especially for people with one or more of the risk factors, can detect early signs and help individuals make the necessary changes to delay or prevent the onset.
IDF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A HEALTHY DIET
- Choose water, coffee or tea instead of juice, soda, or other sugary beverages
- Eat at least three servings of vegetable every day, including green leafy vegetables
- Eat up to three servings of fresh fruit every day
- Choose nuts, fresh fruit, or unsweetened yoghurt for a snack
- Limit alcohol intake to a maximum of two standard drinks per day
- Choose lean cuts of white meat, poultry or seafood instead of red or processed meat
- Choose nut butters (e.g. peanut and almond) instead of chocolate spread or jam
- Choose whole-grain bread, rice, or pasta instead of white bread, rice, or pasta
- Use unsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil, corn oil, or sunflower oil) instead of saturated fats (butter, ghee, animal fat, coconut oil or palm oil
IDF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
- Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g., walking, jogging or swimming) weekly, spread out over several days, possibly in shorter bouts of 10-15 minutes.
- Strength training also has its advantages. You can increase muscle mass and improve insulin sensitivity and glucose control by using weights or resistance bands to strengthen muscles.
Promoting Diabetes Care Access
Finally, we must also acknowledge the need for improved access to all aspects of diabetes care as a whole. That includes oral medication, Insulin, self-monitoring devices, and psychological support. These are essential components and none of them can be neglected if we truly desire adequate management.
References:
International Diabetes Federation (2023), Reducing the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
https://worlddiabetesday.org/about/prevention/
International Diabetes Federation (2022), IDF Diabetes Atlas (Diabetes Around the World in 2021: Africa).
AUTHOR: PHARM USUA ELIZABETH
