Diabetes belongs to the most common and dangerous non-communicable diseases of modern times. It is estimated that around 160 million people suffer from it worldwide and this number is expected to approach 300 million over the next several years.
Research shows that a huge number of people are not aware of the disease. Unfortunately, in many cases, the diagnosis of diabetes, especially type 2, occurs too late, often when serious complications become apparent. How to reverse diabetes?
Are the causes of diabetes known?
Unfortunately, not as much as we would like. Type 1 diabetes is the result of the production of antibodies directed against the own beta cells in the pancreas that produce and secrete insulin into the bloodstream. A certain role is also assigned to genetic predisposition. Clinical manifestations in this form of the disease occur quickly and are clearly marked. Diagnosis is generally easy, made soon after getting sick. Many patients require hospitalization and immediate insulin treatment due to the rapid rise in sugar levels and the development of severe biochemical disorders. It should be emphasized that in recent years a very large increase in the incidence of children and adolescents from this form of disease has been observed.
Type 2 diabetes, which is definitely the dominant form of this disease – 90 – 95% of all cases – is the result of interaction between environmental factors and genetic predisposition. Environmental factors particularly conducive to illness include low physical activity and poor eating habits. They promote obesity, which in turn increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other diseases, especially of the circulatory and osteoarticular systems.
The development of type 2 diabetes is slow and most patients do not require hospitalization at the beginning of the disease. Other specific types of diabetes are forms of the disease that have been caused by defined causes, e.g. acute or chronic pancreatitis.
Is there a pre-diabetes condition?
It is believed that the development of type 2 diabetes is a long-term process, so we can confidently say that there is a pre-diabetes condition, It usually begins about 10-12 years before the diagnosis of the disease. We recognize him in the person who has:
- abnormal blood glucose: 100 – 125 mg / dl) or when
- abnormal blood glucose in 2 hours After ingesting 75 g of glucose: 140 – 199 mg / dl.
Is it possible to stop the progression of pre-diabetes to type 2 diabetes?
It has been proven that a radical change in lifestyle consisting in a change in eating habits (healthy diet) and an increase in physical effort (a minimum of 30 minutes of daily, quite intense walking) allows for a significant reduction in the risk of pre-diabetes into diabetes. Emphasis should be placed on the need to determine blood glucose as recommended above. The earlier measures are taken to prevent the development of diabetes, the greater the chance of achieving this goal.
Can diabetes be cured?
Diabetes is a disease that cannot be cured completely. However, you can stop its course and reduce the risk of chronic complications. This is possible due to compliance with lifestyle recommendations, availability of a wide range of antidiabetic drugs, and self-control of the patient by means of personal glucometers. In recent years, there have been reports that give hope of complete recovery. They concerned people with pathological obesity who underwent surgery to reduce the absorption area in the stomach (bariatric surgery). Shortly after surgery, blood glucose normalized.
How to reverse diabetes?
Treatment of diabetes, regardless of the type of disease, involves simultaneous dietary treatment and administration of glucose lowering drugs.
In type 1, insulin is injected at the dose and time intervals established for the specific patient. Insulin use is necessary for this type of disease for survival.
In type 2 diabetes, treatment also begins with a lifestyle modification and administration of an oral drug (metformin), which improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin produced by the patient’s beta cells. In the absence of a satisfactory response, a second oral drug with a different mode of action (e.g. a sulphonylurea) or exogenous insulin is added. If this treatment strategy is not effective enough, it is switched to insulin treatment.
