Diabetes is a metabolic disease that is closely related to our daily eating habits, and the number of people suffering from it is increasing year by year. Therefore, an early and comprehensive understanding of diabetes, a feared “health killer”, can help prevent the occurrence or delay the development of the disease.
I. Pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by chronic increase in blood glucose level, accompanied by disorders of sugar, protein and fat metabolism. The pathogenesis of diabetes is not yet completely clear, but it is considered to be related to genetics, obesity, long-term excessive food intake, infection, reduced physical activity, multiple pregnancies, drugs, and psychiatric factors.
II. Diabetes mellitus typing
China currently uses the WHO’s etiological typing system for diabetes, which divides diabetes into four major categories, as follows.
1. Type 1 diabetes: also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, mostly occurs in children and adolescents, but can also occur at other ages. The onset of the disease is usually urgent, with symptoms such as polyphagia, polyuria, polydipsia and weight loss being more obvious. The disease fluctuates greatly, is not easily controlled, is prone to ketoacidosis, and requires lifelong insulin therapy to maintain survival.
2, type 2 diabetes: also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes, mostly occurs in adults over 40 years of age and the elderly, with a clear genetic predisposition and mostly a family history of diabetes. The initial stage of the disease is mostly overweight or obese body type, the disease is more moderate, mostly without obvious clinical symptoms, and generally without ketoacidosis.
3, gestational diabetes: refers to diabetes that occurs or is found in women during pregnancy, manifested as polyhydramnios, polyphagia, polyuria, or pseudomelanosis vulvae infection during pregnancy. Those who are more ill or have poor glycemic control are not only prone to miscarriage and preterm delivery, but also cause infection and, in severe cases, ketoacidosis.
4. Other types of diabetes mellitus: It refers to various kinds of diabetes mellitus other than type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes mellitus, including pancreatic diseases, endocrine diseases, diabetes mellitus associated with various genetic diseases and diabetes mellitus caused by drugs, etc.
Diagnostic criteria of diabetes mellitus
The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is clear, as follows.
1, there are “three more and one less” typical diabetes symptoms, fasting blood sugar ≥ 7.0mmol/L or two hours after meal blood sugar ≥ 11.1mmol/L can be diagnosed.
2, asymptomatic people need fasting blood sugar ≥ 7.0mmol/L and two hours after meal blood sugar ≥ 11.1mmol/L to reach the diagnostic standard.
Fourth, the complications of diabetes
1.Acute complications: diabetic ketoacidosis, diabetic non-ketotic hyperosmolar syndrome, lactic acidosis.
2. chronic complications: cardiovascular complications, diabetic cerebrovascular disease, diabetic eye disease, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic foot, diabetic bone and joint disease and oral disease.
3, other complications: hypoglycemia, metabolic syndrome, acute and chronic infections, etc.
V. Common misconceptions about diabetes
Myth 1: Is diabetes caused by eating too much sugar?
To date, there is no scientific evidence that eating too much sugar can lead to diabetes, but eating too much sugar can lead to an increase in blood sugar. The causes of diabetes are extremely complex, involving genetics, infection, genetic variation, environment, diet and other factors, and have not been completely and clearly elucidated by the medical community to date. Therefore, diabetes and eating too much sugar should not be simply equated.
Myth 2: You need to take insulin as soon as you are diagnosed with diabetes
Type 1 diabetes does require lifelong insulin injections, while most type 2 diabetes can be controlled through a proper diet, regular exercise and oral medication.
Myth 3: You can’t eat fruit if you have diabetes
Those with stable blood sugar control can choose fruits with low glycemic index under the guidance of a nutritionist, such as apples, pears, oranges, tomatoes, etc., and it is recommended that they be consumed between meals and should not exceed 100 grams.
Myth 4: Diabetes fear of high blood sugar do not eat staple foods
Not eating staple foods will lead to lethargy and weakness, and at the same time will lead to ketoacidosis. The correct way should be to properly limit the total calorie intake, 1.5-2 taels of staple food per meal, eat less and more meals, and it is recommended to choose coarse and mixed grains to match.
Myth 5: Stop taking medication immediately after blood sugar control
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease and there is no cure for it. Good blood sugar control and maintenance require long-term adherence to comprehensive treatment, including diet, exercise and medication. Therefore, the original treatment should generally be maintained even after the blood glucose reaches the standard to avoid fluctuation of blood glucose level, which may cause more serious harm.
References
[1]Qin Zeyi, Su Xiaomei. On the typing of diabetes mellitus and research progress [J]. China Health Industry, 2013(19):191-192.
[2]Li J, Zhang YQ, Jin Sajura, et al. The diagnostic criteria of diabetes mellitus are debated again[J]. Primary Care Forum, 2018(8):1110-1111.