What is diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus type 2 is caused by insulin resistance, which reduces the sensitivity of cells to insulin and leads to them absorbing less sugar (glucose), resulting in chronically elevated blood-sugar levels.1 A healthy person’s pancreas produces the hormone insulin when blood-sugar levels rise due to food intake. Ingested food is broken down into simple sugars (glucose) after which insulin stimulates the delivery of glucose to the cells, where it is metabolised. About 90% of diabetics suffer from type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease in which there is a lack of insulin because the immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells.

Incidence of diabetes
According to World Health Organization estimates, diabetes affected about 8.5% of the world’s adult population in 2014. In 2019, about 1.5 million deaths worldwide were attributed to diabetes.4 Yet type 2 diabetes is often curable with a healthy lifestyle and a diet based on the principles of medical nutrition therapy.

Causes of diabetes
The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is determined by a combination of genetic and metabolic factors. Obesity, an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and smoking can all increase the risk of becoming diabetic.6 More than 80% of people who develop obesity also develop type 2 diabetes.7 Due to diabetics’ insulin resistance, their bodies no longer respond adequately to insulin, which leads to a rise in their blood-sugar levels. The pancreas tries to counteract this by producing more insulin – an overproduction that can lead to beta-cell fatigue. When the beta-cells are exhausted or fail, they can no longer produce enough insulin to transport glucose out of the bloodstream. Age is a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes, while childbirth is a risk factor for gestational diabetes.

Typical symptoms of diabetes
Diabetes often develops gradually and the warning signs are not always clear. A typical symptom of diabetes is increased thirst, which is caused by excess glucose in the bloodstream, which draws fluid from body tissue. Another symptom is a strong urge to urinate. Diabetics are also often exhausted because sugar is missing from their muscle and organ cells, causing a lack of energy. The lack of glucose in the cells, which serves as fuel, means that diabetics tire more quickly and are constantly hungry. Weight loss is another symptom of diabetes. Since people afflicted with the disease cannot metabolise glucose into energy, the body uses up reserves stored in fat and muscle mass. Blurred vision, poor wound healing, or constant infections can also indicate diabetes.

Diabetes diagnosis in the doctor’s office
If you think you might be diabetic, you should see a doctor. A diagnosis can be made by testing the fasting blood-glucose level. Values below 100 mg/dl are considered normal. A blood-sugar level of 100 to 125 mg/dl indicates the preliminary stage of type 2 diabetes. At this stage, also called prediabetes, diabetes can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle. A bloodtest result of 126 mg/dl or more confirms the diagnosis of diabetes.

Diabetes risks and long-term damage
Having diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks or strokes by a factor of two to three. As a result of the reduced blood flow, nerve damage can occur, usually starting in the hands and feet. It can manifest as numbness, pain, or a burning sensation. Poorly controlled blood sugar can even lead to a loss of feeling in the extremities. Poor blood circulation means that even minor injuries heal poorly and can lead to serious infections, which in turn can make amputations necessary. Digestive problems and kidney damage, as well as hearing and skin problems, are some of the late-stage effects of untreated or poorly treated diabetes.