According to experts, about 1 in 13 people in Vietnam suffers from diabetes. It is worth mentioning that currently more than 60% of diabetes patients in Vietnam are undiagnosed.
14/11 is a day designated by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) as World Diabetes Day to raise awareness about this disease.
Today’s theme World Diabetes Prevention and Management 2024 is “Understand the risks to prevent the disease”, emphasizing the importance of understanding the risks of the disease and taking timely preventive measures to stay healthy.
According to IDF data, the number of people with diabetes worldwide is expected to reach 53.7643 billion in 2021. The number of people infected with the disease is expected to increase to 783 million in 2030 and 2045 million in 2045.
Statistics show that more than 70% of people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries due to the rapid increase in consumption of energy-rich foods and sedentary lifestyles.
The proportion of the obese population is increasing, and the age group of diabetic patients is getting younger. This is a truly amazing problem.
According to Vietnam survey data in 2020, the incidence of diabetes is 7.3%, which is approximately 70,000 people nationwide, with approximately 1 in 13 people suffering from diabetes, of which 55% of type 2 diabetes patients suffer from cardiovascular, eye, and nervous system diseases. I am suffering. Kidney complications. Diabetes complications not only increase medical costs, but also reduce quality of life.
According to a national survey by the Central Endocrine Hospital (2002), the nationwide prevalence of diabetes was 2.7%. Ten years later this percentage had increased to 5,4%.
In particular, in Vietnam, the proportion of people who currently have undiagnosed diabetes is more than 60%, and more than half of adults have never had a blood sugar test to detect diabetes.
Medical experts are concerned that people with diabetes are getting younger and younger, with some patients as young as 15 or 16 years old. The main causes include unhealthy eating habits, smoking, excessive consumption of beer and alcohol, and sedentary lifestyle habits.
If this disease is discovered late and not treated promptly, it often leads to dangerous complications in other parts of the body, significantly reducing quality of life.
Another worrying fact is that the disease is affecting younger and younger people. Dr. Hoang Van Ket, head of the pediatric intensive care unit at Duc Giang General Hospital, said diabetes in children is mainly type 1 diabetes, which is insulin-dependent diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes (also known as type 1 diabetes) is a pathological condition that occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin or produces very little insulin, resulting in severe endogenous insulin deficiency.
This disease is often diagnosed in children and young adults. The disease can begin as young as a few months, with the most common age being 10 to 14 years. The male/female ratio is equal. Type 1 diabetes accounts for approximately 5 to 10% of diabetes patients.
95% of type 1 diabetes is caused by autoimmune mechanisms, and in 5% of cases, the cause is unknown. This is because the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Some risk factors, such as Coxsackie virus, rubella, cytomegaloinfection… or early dietary exposure to cow’s milk, are also associated with the development of the disease.
Some anti-pancreatic beta-cell antibodies can also be found in most people with type 1 diabetes.
Additionally, in the past, many people misunderstood that type 1 diabetes was a genetic disease, but this is not true. Type 1 diabetes is not classified as a genetic disease.
However, if a direct relative, such as a parent or sibling, has type 1 diabetes, you are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Therefore, when a child develops symptoms that they have not experienced before, such as thirst, excessive drinking, urinating a lot, weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, new bedwetting, etc.
In particular, it should be taken immediately if any of the dangerous warning symptoms of type 1 diabetes appear, such as abdominal pain, vomiting, loss of consciousness, rapid deep breathing, or the smell of ripe fruit (ripe apple…). Transfer to a medical facility for examination, final diagnosis and timely treatment.
Currently, the use of insulin is still mandatory to treat type 1 diabetes. Early insulin administration also helps preserve residual beta cell function. Keeping your blood sugar under control can help reduce your risk of long-term complications.
Additionally, eating habits and lifestyle habits must be adjusted to suit each patient. People engaging in moderate physical activity should maintain 30 to 35 calories/kg per day.
Balancing the ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids not only helps control blood sugar but also ensures the patient’s working life.
Especially for children, in addition to controlling blood sugar, it is also necessary to ensure the child’s normal growth and development goals. People with type 1 diabetes should monitor their blood sugar at least four times a day at home so that they can adjust their insulin dosage based on their blood sugar levels.
