I wish I had known my grandmother better.
When I was nine, my Dad’s mother — my last surviving grandparent — died at age 62 from kidney failure, a complication of her diabetes.
As a physician, I've seen the suffering caused by diabetes out of control. It's the leading cause of preventable blindness (necessitating annual eye examinations). In the past year, two of my patients have had toe amputations; diabetes out of control damages both the arteries and nerves throughout the body.
Individuals with diabetes are at higher risk for both heart attacks and strokes.
Most people think diabetes is only about sugars. It is a metabolic condition that affects cellular health and the function of all your body's systems.
But the good news is that recognizing diabetes early and managing it well with the support of your healthcare team will delay and prevent most of the complications.
More good news: those patients who with their healthcare team manage their diabetes well greatly reduce these complications and can add three to 10 extra years to their lives. Those are extra good years doing what you love to do with the people you love.
Key message: diagnose diabetes early and manage it proactively to live a longer healthier life.
Are you at risk for diabetes?
One in 11 adults over age 20 has diabetes, but some of us are at increased risk. A woman who has ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant) is likely to develop diabetes later in life.
If you like me have a family history of diabetes, you are at increased risk. If you have one parent who had diabetes, you have a 40 per cent lifetime risk for diabetes. If both your parents had diabetes, your lifetime risk is 50 per cent.
The common media message that diabetes is now an epidemic lifestyle disease is only partially true. The cause of type 2 diabetes is generally genetic but the severity and time of onset is highly affected by lifestyle.
I've been able to avoid diabetes so far by exercising every day, following a healthy balanced diet, avoiding simple sugars and more processed starchy foods, emphasizing vegetables and maintaining an appropriate weight.
The accumulation of excess abdominal fat - the so called "beer belly" that gives you the silhouette of Winnie the Pooh is associated with metabolic syndrome, a genetic condition that is associated with increased blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes.
Ask your family doctor if you are due for a screen for diabetes. An early diagnosis is the first step in the proactive management of diabetes, increasing your odds for a longer healthier life.
You can also check your score with the CANRISK calculator online.
Dr. Davidicus Wong is a Burnaby family physician and has written for Glacier Media since 1991.
As part of the Burnaby Division of Family Practice’s Empowering Patients public health education program, and for Diabetes Awareness Month, Dr. Wong will be presenting "What You Should Know About Diabetes" at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14. He'll cover the essential facts about diabetes and the keys to its successful management.
For more information, you can visit the organization's website.
To learn more about diabetes, you can check the Canadian Diabetes Association's website.
