People in Bahrain are being urged to undergo a fasting blood sugar test starting from the age of 20, to reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
The call comes as Bahrain joins other nations in marking World Diabetes Day today under the slogan, ‘Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps’.
Diabetes mellitus, often known simply as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterised by sustained high blood sugar levels.
The disease occurs due to either the pancreas not producing enough insulin, or the cells of the body becoming unresponsive to the hormone’s effects.
If left untreated, the disease can lead to various health complications, including disorders of the cardiovascular system, eye, kidney and nerves. Diabetes accounts for nearly 4.2 million deaths every year worldwide.
According to the Health Ministry’s website, Bahrain is considered one of the countries most affected by diabetes, where the incidence of the disease is 14.7 per cent of the adult population, and predictions indicate a high percentage of people with diabetic disease to about a quarter of the region’s population in the GCC countries by 2030.
Royal Bahrain Hospital Medical Centre, Janabiya family medicine consultant Dr Warda Hasan told the GDN that a number of factors impact the nation’s incidence rate.
“Obesity, unhealthy lifestyle, increased life expectancy, increased healthcare expenditures, among other things, impact the figures,” she said.
“Diabetes is a major health concern and is influenced by lifestyle which goes hand in hand with our environment.
“Specifically, being around a lot of fast food can influence eating behaviours, which can lead to developing diabetes. It’s important that we make it a habit to choose healthy food over junk food.”
There are different types of the disease and type 2 diabetes is the most common and primarily caused by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors such as obesity, of which more than 36pc of adults in Bahrain suffer from, and insulin resistance.
“There are ways to avoid developing such diseases. We recommend an annual fasting blood sugar test, starting from age 20, and having regular check-ups with your physician,” said Dr Hasan.
“It’s also important to be physically active, maintain a healthy weight, eat healthier plant foods and smaller portions, and consume healthy fats in moderation.
“People should also be eating food from each food group, meaning eating plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Limiting red meat and processed meats is also a good idea.”
She added that before a diagnosis, the patient’s blood sugar levels may be high, but not enough to indicate diabetes.
“This is known as prediabetes. Progressing from prediabetes to diabetes isn’t inevitable. Though you can’t change certain factors such as your genes or age, several lifestyle and dietary modifications may reduce your risk.”
The doctor also pointed out the glycemic index, glycemic load and the psychological side of diabetes, which she believes receives little to no attention.
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale from 0 to 100 that corresponds to how much a carbohydrate raises a person’s blood sugar level by fasting.
Glycemic load takes into account both the GI of a food and the serving side, providing a more accurate measure of the impact of a food on blood sugar levels.
“People should be aware that stress can impact a person’s health,” said Dr Hasan, adding that there may be a link between stress and the risk of type 2 diabetes.
“Researchers believe that high levels of stress hormones might stop insulin-producing cells in the pancreas from working properly and reduce the amount of insulin they make. In turn, this might contribute to developing type 2 diabetes.”
Overeating when stressed could also be a factor in developing the disease.
The International Diabetes Federation claims that more than 537 million people currently live with type 2 diabetes.
julia@gdnmedia.bh