A Caribbean Guide to Understanding Diabetes
Part One: The basics and what to look out for
Whether you've been told you're at risk of diabetes, or you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you may be feeling a range of emotions ranging from overwhelmed to scared, per perhaps you are inspired and motivated to make some changes. Your biggest question is probably – how do I deal with this? Part one of this article will outline what diabetes is, how it's caused, the symptoms, risk factors, and how you can get tested and keep your awareness up as well.
What is diabetes?
When a person has diabetes, it means that their body doesn't make enough insulin or their body is unable to use insulin properly, so their glucose levels are high. Insulin is a hormone in our bodies which regulates the amount of glucose available in our bloodstream. It helps glucose enter the fat, muscle, and liver cells where it's used for energy. Insulin is produced by the beta cells in the pancreas (1).
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune reaction as the body's immune system destroys the beta cells in the pancreas, which causes the pancreas to stop producing insulin. When this happens, insulin needs to be administered to bring glucose levels back down to a safe level (1).
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes as it accounts for over 90 - 95% of cases globally. It results from a series of issues, with the first issue being insulin resistance. With type 2 diabetes, the body resists the effects of insulin and is unable to produce enough insulin to maintain an average glucose level(1).
Living with diabetes can increase your risk of heart disease, circulation problems, eye and kidney disease (2).
Trinidad and Tobago has ranks as one of the countries with the most prevalent and fastest-growing diabetic populations in the world. It is estimated that 14.5% of the population has diabetes, with 88-90% of those persons being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (3).
What happens before diabetes?
As previously mentioned, insulin resistance is one of the first problems that can result in type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance occurs when the fat, muscle, and liver cells resist the effects of insulin. When this happens, the pancreas has to work overtime by producing more insulin cells to allow for blood sugar levels to go down. Over time, the pancreas is unable to make enough insulin to keep up, causing blood sugar levels to rise (4). Insulin resistance can be present for 5 - 10 years before glucose levels are high enough to diagnose diabetes. Insulin resistance is associated with excess weight, high blood pressure, abnormal levels of cholesterol, and being physically inactive (4).
Symptoms
With type 1 diabetes, symptoms are more noticeable. You begin to feel more hungry and thirsty, increased urination, fatigue, and weight loss. With type 2 diabetes, there is a gradual increase in blood sugar levels rise, and so the symptoms are not as noticeable. It is estimated that 7.3 million people with diabetes who have not been diagnosed (5).
Should you be screened for diabetes?
Several factors increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. People who are over the age of 45 years, or under 45 years who have one or more of the following factors should be screened for diabetes.
- Family history of type 2 diabetes
- Afro Caribbean, African American, or South Asian descent
- Overweight
- Experienced gestational diabetes during a pregnancy
- Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Sedentary or inactive lifestyle
- History of cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure
- Acanthosis nigricans (a skin condition which causes dark, thickened skin around the armpits, groin, and neck)
Information this week by: Kirstyn Church, an Associate Nutritionist with Nutrition Consulting Services. Tru Valu Supermarket is one of the leading grocery chains in Trinidad and Tobago with five stores and the best customers. Have a question? Email us truvalusupermarkets@gmail.com.
References
1. “Diabetes.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/health-topics/diabetes.
2. “Complications.” Complications | ADA , www.diabetes.org/diabetes/complications.
3. “Message on World Diabetes Day 2019.” The Office of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, 14 Nov. 2019, otp.tt/message-on-world-diabetes-day-2019/.
All of the content presented by Tru Valu Supermarkets on our Medium channel, including written text, photographs, videos, and graphics, as well as other resources we might include is meant to educate and it should not be perceived as a substitution for professional medical advice, as well as diagnosis or treatment. Always consult your doctor or nutrition advisor before making major lifestyle and diet changes.
