In the world at least 537 million people suffer from type 2 diabetes mellitus, a figure that is presumed to be higher, due to the number of undiagnosed.At the country level, just over 500,000 people over the age of 19 have the disease, a number that has been increasing due to the prevalence of obesity, a triggering factor, according to the latest Survey of Cardiovascular Risk Factors of CCSS.
“This is a pathology that appears when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not use it properly, causing over time that, with this high and constant level of glucose, serious diseases develop in patients,” said Daniel Quesada , cardiologist, representative of the Costa Rican Association of Cardiology.
Negative side effects
Having diabetes is associated with an increase of up to three times in developing cardiovascular diseases and kidney failure, so it is necessary for people to maintain regular control of their glucose levels, to avoid additional complications that can also affect other organs and tissues.
“When sugar rises, it affects all the organs of the body and leads people to have a high risk of having greater negative effects, which add up, for example, kidney damage can affect the heart, or even present affectations at the cerebral level; Quesada explained.
Adopting healthy lifestyles
“It is important for people to understand that, by adopting healthy lifestyles, which include regular physical activity, a balanced diet, factors associated with good adherence to medication, they can lead a relatively normal life, because, although we know that disease does not disappear, if controlled it avoids the complications that we have already mentioned”, added Quesada.
As a result of these alarming data, the First Consensus for Diabetes Management was held in Costa Rica, which seeks to redefine the medical care of these patients in the country.The team, which is made up of specialists from five Costa Rican medical societies, will update care guidelines and support doctors to better manage the disease.
It is estimated that the disease is the cause of 6.7 million deaths annually on the planet, generating almost a billion dollars in expenses in health systems, so it is essential to seek a comprehensive approach to the patient, allowing treatments to be established, follow-up and analysis plans that control not only the primary disease, but also the correlated conditions, added José Jiménez, a medical representative of the Costa Rican Association of Endocrinology.
Throughout five chapters, the consensus develops relevant aspects of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), special populations, risk stratification, pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.
“Continuing medical education and evidence-based medicine is the essence of this research, which will allow the updating of hundreds of health professionals in both the public and private sectors,” Quesada concluded.
Risks Associated With Diabetes
Diabetes has several risk factors that could complicate your health:
• Physical inactivity
• Hypertension
• Age
• Unhealthy diets
• Poor nutrition during pregnancy
• Impaired glucose tolerance
