Context

A sedentary lifestyle and wrong eating behaviour have made people more vulnerable to diseases like type-2 diabetes. But slight modification in lifestyle can reverse it.

Diabetes

• Diabetes is a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar, or glucose), or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin, it produces.
• Type 2 diabetes is age-related; it often develops at the age of 45 and beyond.
• Type 1 diabetes is largely genetic in nature, while Type 2 depends on the lifestyle of the individual.

About Insulin: Insulin is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets; It is considered to be the main anabolic hormone of the body. t regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and protein by promoting the absorption of glucose from the blood into the liver, fat, and skeletal muscle cells.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes

The symptoms of ‘type 2 diabetes’ are similar to those of ‘type 1 diabetes’ and include:

• • Excessive thirst and dry mouth
  • Frequent urination
  • Lack of energy, tiredness
  • Slow healing wounds
  • Recurrent infections in the skin
  • Blurred vision
  • Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
• Gestational diabetes: This type occurs in women during pregnancy when the body can become less sensitive to insulin. Gestational diabetes does not occur in all women and usually resolves after giving birth.
• Pre-diabetes: It occurs when your blood sugar is higher than normal, but it’s not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Impacts of Diabetes: It affects the five major organs namely, the Kidney, Heart, Blood vessels, Nervous System, and Eyes (retina). Factors Responsible: Factors that lead to an increase in diabetes are an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, harmful use of alcohol, overweight/obesity, tobacco use, etc.

Clinical view: ‘Reversal of diabetes is a term that has been rejected by the American and European Association of Diabetologists but if a person can reduce medication with good exercise and the right diet, for six months, it helps to treat the disease more effectively, as 95% of all diabetes cases are related to poor lifestyle.

Government initiatives:

• India’s National non-communicable disease (NCD) Target is to prevent the rise in obesity and diabetes prevalence.
• National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancers, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) in 2010, to provide support for diagnosis and cost-effective treatment at various levels of health care.