EN 
ES Dr. José Rodríguez, Diabetologist, Nutritionist. Coordinator of the Diabetes and Nutrition Unit of the General Hospital of the Plaza de la Salud.
Like every year, diabetes is a topic of discussion and alarm. The numbers that the organizations dedicated to the study of the same contribute to us at the end of the year many times discourage us, because we see how this condition increases in the world population.
At the beginning of last 2019, we commented that the number of people with diabetes worldwide reached 425 million people, and this year we see how the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reports an increase of 51%, reaching reach 463 million people with diabetes worldwide.
The projection for the year 2045 is that 700 million people worldwide will suffer from diabetes.
Am I at risk of suffering it?
First, we must be very clear that each of us can be at risk of suffering from it and that diabetes is a silent condition that, in the beginning, rarely produces symptoms.
Do not wait until you are losing weight without reason or see the frequency and amount of water you drink or have a desire to go to the bathroom to urinate, when these symptoms arrive, it has been a long time with high blood sugar levels.
Know the risk factors to develop the disease.
If you answer yes to some of the following questions, the time has come to visit a specialist.
Do you have or have you had ...
- Overweight or obesity?
- First-degree relatives (dad, mom, grandparents) with diabetes?
- If you are a woman, have you had a baby whose birth weight is 8 pounds or more?
- If you are a woman, did you have high blood glucose levels in any pregnancy?
- It has a black "stain" that covers the neck, armpits or groin (crotch area).
- In any blood test your blood glucose levels were between 90 and 100 mg / dl?
- Are you over 30 years old?
- Do you lead a sedentary life? Do you not spend time doing physical activities?
These are some of the risk factors that can guide us on the current condition of our metabolism and it is the right time to investigate with a specialist, what conditions it really is.
What if I only have a few dots above?
On the other hand, there are those who still do not develop the disease, have the condition of "pre-diabetes"; Their blood sugar or blood sugar levels are between 100 and 125, which many call "high sugar dots." That group represents about 374 million people worldwide. Of these, between 26 and 50% will develop diabetes in approximately 5 years.
As we see, there are many who must initiate that change in our lives that allows us to live longer, but with quality.
We must be more proactive and make the decision that now is the time for change, now is when we take control of the quality of our lives, because in the pre-diabetes stage we can reverse the situation and avoid the step towards diabetes.
We usually do not realize that at this time, when we are “just a few dots” above normal, it is when the negative effects begin in our cardiovascular system and years later appear at very early ages heart attacks or strokes ( LCA), therefore, now is the time.
Posted in: Hoy Digital newspaper.
