10 Things to Know About Diabetes

1) Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs as type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease characterized by the lack of insulin (the hormone that regulates blood glucose concentrations) production by the pancreas.

2) Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which there are two main biological defects: a deficient production of insulin and reduced ability of the body to respond to the insulin being produced.

3) Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are characterized by an increase in blood glucose concentrations (hyperglycemia).

4) Diabetes affects Indians at a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than the rest of the world.

5) Factors such as age, male sex, family history of diabetes, urban residence, abdominal obesity, general obesity, and hypertension and income status were significantly associated with diabetes.

6) One in 30 Indians has Diabetes. It cannot be cured but the condition can be managed.

7) Low levels of Vitamin D in the blood can contribute to a person’s risk of developing Type 1 diabetes.

8) Indians more prone to development of the complications of diabetes at an early age (20-40 years) compared with Caucasians (>50 years)

9) Diabetes exposes people to heart attack, stroke, amputations, nerve damage, blindness and kidney disease.

10) People with Type 1 diabetes tend to have higher risk of having other autoimmune diseases.