Diabetic Live

Diabetes Quiz and Statistics – Part 1: PLoS Medicine is an open source directory of medical information. I recently encountered a ten-question diabetes quiz developed by Gavin Yamey and Virginia Barbour that really should be shared. Please feel free to see how much you know about diabetes and how it affects people around the world and in your own home.

Question 1. In the year 2000, roughly how many adults (20 years of age and older) worldwide had diabetes mellitus?
_ 50 million
_ 170 million
_ 500 million

Question 2. What is the approximate annual direct cost of intensive insulin treatment?
_ About $3,500 per patient
_ About $7,000 per patient
_ About $10,000 per patient

Question 3. What is the approximate cost of islet cell transplantation?
_ $50,000 per patient, per transplant
_ $150,000 per patient, per transplant
_ $250,000 per patient, per transplant

Question 4. After 20 years of type 1 diabetes, what is the estimated cumulative risk of albuminuria?
_ Around 5%
_ Around 16%
_ Around 30%
_ Around 50%

Question 5. Which of the following interventions for reducing the risk of progression of early diabetic neuropathy is best supported by evidence?
_ Tight blood pressure control
_ Protein restriction
_ Lipid lowering

Now let’s take a close look at the answers and statistics for each of these questions.

Answer 1. 170 million
Experts estimated that the number of cases of diabetes worldwide in the year 2000 among adults 20 years of age and older was about 171 million. Data on the prevalence of diabetes according to age and sex from a limited number of countries were extrapolated to all 191 World Health Organization member states and applied to United Nations’ population estimates for the year 2000 and the year 2030. The authors estimated that there will be 366 million people with diabetes in the year 2030.

Answer 2. About $3,500 per patient
In one study performed in Israel, the approximate annual direct cost of intensive insulin treatment was around $3,300 per patient, which is about three times more than that of standard insulin treatment. However, when other factors such as the reduction in complications are taken into account, such treatment appears to be cost-effective.

Answer 3. $150,000 per patient, per transplant In the United States, islet cell transplantation costs approximately $150,000 per patient, per transplant.

Answer 4. Around 30%
One study showed that the cumulative risk of proteinuria is similar in type 2 and type 1 diabetes—27% and 28%, respectively, after 20 years of diabetes. Another showed that around 30% of patients with type 1 diabetes had developed sustained microalbuminuria within 20 years.

Answer 5. Tight blood pressure control
Although there have been no systematic reviews that prove the benefit of any of these three interventions, there is, nevertheless, evidence to support a correlation between tight blood pressure control and a decreased rate of nephropathy progression. Importantly, the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study Group found that the control of blood pressure was a far more important intervention to prevent mortality than blood glucose control.

Five more questions about diabetes will be presented in part 2 of this two-part series as we continue to work to provide solid and timely information for diabetics and their families.

Diabetes Quiz and Statistics – Part 2: This is the second part of a quiz developed by PLoS Medical and Gavin Yamey and Virginia Barbour. The intent is to provide statistics in the form of a quiz that can enable diabetics and the ones they love to have a better understanding of the struggle they face on a daily basis.

Question 6. Which of the following best reflects the association between blood glucose level and mortality in people with type 2 diabetes?
_ There is a positive, although weak, association between increased glucose and increased mortality
_ There is a positive, and very strong, association between increased glucose and increased mortality
_ There is no association between glucose level and mortality

Question 7. For people with healed diabetic foot ulcers, what is the 5-year cumulative rate of ulcer recurrence?
_ 15%
_ 30%
_ 45%
_ 66%

Question 8. Which of the following interventions for preventing foot complications in people with diabetes is best supported by evidence?
_ Therapeutic footwear for preventing ulcer recurrence
_ Screening and referral to foot care clinics to prevent major amputations in those at high risk
_ Education programs for preventing ulcer recurrence, serious foot lesions, and major amputations

Question 9. What proportion of patients with type 1 diabetes have thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies?
_ About one in five
_ About one in ten
_ About one in 100

Question 10. Which of the following best reflects the evidence from randomized controlled trials on the optimum HbA1C for people with diabetes?
_ These trials found that development or progression of complications increases progressively as HbA1c increases above the nondiabetic range, and that there is a glycemic threshold above which there is a risk of complications
_ These trials found that development or progression of complications increases progressively as HbA1c increases above the nondiabetic range, but there is no lower glycemic threshold for the risk of complications

Let’s take a look at the answers.

Answer 6. There is a positive, although weak, association between increased glucose and increased mortality A systematic review of 27 studies examining the relationship between blood glucose level and mortality in type 2 diabetes found a positive but weak association between high glucose and increased mortality.

Answer 7. 66%
Although the incidence of new ulcers is relatively low—around 2% per year—the risk of recurrence for people with healed diabetic foot ulcers is very high: the 5-year cumulative rate of ulcer recurrence is 66%, and the rate of amputation is 12%.

Answer 8. Screening and referral to foot care clinics to prevent major amputations in those at high risk One randomized, controlled trial, involving 2002 patients
attending a general diabetes clinic, found that a diabetes screening program (involving referral to a foot clinic if high-risk features were present) reduced the risk of major amputation compared with usual care after two years.

Answer 9. About one in five
The Belgian Diabetes Registry indicated that the prevalence of thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies is 22% in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Answer 10. These trials found that development or progression of complications increases progressively as HbA1c increases above the nondiabetic range, but there is no lower glycemic threshold for the risk of complications.

Two large randomized, controlled trials in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes found that development or progression of complications increases progressively as HbA1c increases above the nondiabetic range. The data suggested the better the glycemic control, the lower the risk of complications.

We hope this information has been beneficial in questions that may not routinely come up in conversation about Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

Anatomy of Obesity: As we age we understand that our bodies tend to gain weight much easier. We also find that it can be much harder to take that weight off. Is there a reason why this is true? If so, is there anything that can be done to reverse the effects?

Metabolism
This has typically been thought of as the culprit in weight gain. If a person gains weight it is often said that their metabolism has become slower with age. While this might be true it doesn’t appear to be the full story.

Introducing Leptin
The secretion of leptin is a function of various glands within the body. The role of insulin is to manage excess blood glucose by determining how to use the glucose (either stored fat or immediate fuel for energy). The role of leptin is to work to suppress hunger (leptin means thin). This may be that magic element that could help us all lose weight, but when we feed our appetite to excesses leptin does something drastic.

The Scars
According to ScienceDaily.com Leptin released a protein called SPARC. “It is thought that leptin, in an attempt to balance energy levels in the body, could trigger SPARC to limit the storage of fat. SPARC can do this by increasing the formation of scars in fat tissue, which can prevent fat being stored safely in the body.”

The researchers are from the University Hospital Aintree, the University of Warwick and Sweden. They discovered that diabetics have an increased level of SPARC, which essentially adds insult to injury.

The Cycle
Insulin is released to manage blood glucose. Leptin is released to suppress the appetite. SPARC is released to stop excess energy from storing as fat. The resulting effect is internal scarring in the fat cells that reduces the effective use of insulin and leptin and potentially the over production of both.

When fat is not stored safely in the body the individual becomes more prone to Type 2 diabetes. Professor John Wilding explains, “We tested fat tissue of patients at University Hospital Aintree and found that an increase in leptin also increases SPARC levels, which reduces the safe storage of fat through the development of abnormal tissue scarring. Scarring of fat tissue is known to increase as we gain weight and we found that this is exacerbated by leptin, as well as an increase in insulin, produced by the pancreas.”

Dr Katarina Kos was the lead author of the research, and she further explained, “Leptin is produced in fat cells to regulate appetite, but the body becomes resistant to the effects of appetite reduction in obese patients. Leptin continues to increase in response to overall fat mass and promotes scarring through increased SPARC levels. Once scarring occurs, the excess nutritional energy from fat cannot be taken up by fat cells and so remains in the blood and begins to gather around organs. As a result, fat cells of people classified as obese, may not fulfill their natural purpose to store fat.”

As a body becomes more obese it is less sensitive to Leptin. When Leptin has to work too hard it releases SPARC that may serve to make fat cells less receptive to accepting fat. This leaves excess blood glucose flowing through the veins, which signals the pancreas to send more insulin. The result of this tiered approach to normal body management is a body that is more susceptible to Type 2 diabetes.

Researchers recommend a reduced calorie diet, which has proven to lower levels of SPARC in the bloodstream. This may also lead to new medical advances in treating both obesity and diabetes.

Childhood Radiation Could Mean Diabetes in Adulthood: Every year we are learning more ways to reduce certain risks for diabetes, but there are the occasions where the standard rules don’t apply. New research indicates individuals who underwent radiation therapy for childhood cancer may be at substantially greater risk for diabetes within 30 years of their radiation therapy.

This research was recently presented through the Archives of Internal Medicine. According to ScienceDaily.com the traditional indicators for Type 2 diabetes may not present in these cases, “This correlation does not appear to be related to patients’ body mass index or physical inactivity.”

In other words for the individual who underwent radiation therapy as a child there may be a risk for diabetes that does not depend on weight or how often you exercise.

Three-fourths of all children who battle cancer and win will likely develop a chronic health problem later in life. According to ScienceDaily.com, “Survivors diagnosed with cancer before age 5 were 2.4 times more likely to report diabetes than those diagnosed in late adolescence (from ages 15 to 20).” Other chronic health issues include heart and kidney abnormalities.

The common belief is that radiation not only kills cancer cells, but damages vital organs that can ultimately lead to lifestyle altering diseases following the cumulative effects of long-term damage. Researchers are quoted as saying, “It is likely that this additional chronic disease in childhood cancer survivors, who frequently also sustain damage to the heart, kidneys and endocrine system, will lead to further morbidity and premature mortality.”

As scientists learn more about the link between childhood radiation and the diabetic link there will be a greater emphasis in long-term care. Researchers stated, “It is imperative that clinicians recognize this risk, screen for diabetes and prediabetes when appropriate and approach survivors with aggressive risk-reducing strategies.”

Scientists are determining and have determined risks in this medical category that can be reduced in order to aid in the greatest quality of life as well as life longevity.

It would make no sense to simply stand aside and declare this issue a proverbial ‘death sentence’. The truth is there are ways to manage this disease under this scenario and may simply be considered an unpleasant side effect that can be treated.

Scientists do suggest, “Further research is warranted to understand the pathways by which these two modes of radiation therapy (abdominal and total body) lead to diabetes.”

In some cases it is believed that the radiation experienced in childhood create an atmosphere where alterations in the function of vital organs create conditions needed for the development of chronic medical conditions later in life. It is also possible that the radiation alters the normal secretions of hormones the body uses to function normally. While the human body can adjust to a certain degree there may come a time when the ‘new’ normal is so out of sync that unexpected illnesses make themselves known.

There is a valid reason for doctors to question you about everything related to your medical history. It may seem a sizeable challenge to fill out all the paperwork and answer all the questions, but there are multiple side effects that can be present between different prescription drugs. There can also be side effects from previous procedures that may have some bearing on your medical conditions today. Take the time to help your health care provider understand your unique situation so they can take the best course of action to help you fully live life.

Sam Fuld: From One Diabetic To Another: Chicago Cubs fans are inspired by the passion they see in outfielder Sam Fuld. What many may not know is that Sam lives with Type 1 diabetes and has done so since 1991.

Family members say that Sam had two loves growing up – baseball and numbers. He was a premier statistician and could rattle off figures that surprised most.

Sam’s dad, Ken, indicates there were never discussions of his son playing in the majors, but Sam quietly entertained those thoughts. ESPNChicago indicates that when he was in high school, “Fuld stopped growing while his peers continued. So he honed in on the technical tenets that were controllable: speed, productive at-bats, and a tenacious in-the-dirt defensive style often popularized by smaller players.”

Sam said, “I’d buy baseball cards and find anyone under 5-10 who played in the outfield and say, ‘That’s my guy; there’s hope.’”

At the age of 12 he was playing against those who were 16 and his love for numbers only grew. So what was it that caused a math geek/baseball player to pursue the sport of baseball while living with diabetes? Wikipedia explains, “At the age of 12, he met pitcher Bill Gullickson, who also had diabetes, and talked to him for two minutes. “That was enough to inspire me,” Fuld said. “Any time I can talk to young diabetic kids, I look forward to that opportunity,” said Gullickson Now, five or six times a day he (Sam) opens a small black case, withdraws a glucometer, pricks a finger (“It’s pretty painless; I’ve got calloused fingers”), and checks his blood sugar. He then gives himself shots of insulin at breakfast and dinner times.”

A baseball legacy was handed from one diabetic to another in those two minutes. The seed of hope grew in Sam’s mind, but he wouldn’t leave numbers behind.

Sam finished his college degree before heading to the pro fields. In fact he plans to go back to school in the off-season to complete some post-graduate work. His sights are set on a career that includes math once his baseball days are through although from the looks of this season that may be a while.

ESPNChicago states Sam, “Has become a fan favorite for his diving, acrobatic defense (like his July 1 somersault throw to home plate, timed perfectly to force out the runner). In his September 2007 major league debut, Fuld earned the Chicago Tribune’s nod for the ‘play of the year’ after making a wall-crashing grab and rocket throw resulting in a double play, known to many Cubs fans as “the catch.””

As perhaps a side lesson, in the life experiences we provide for our children we should note that Sam’s passion for baseball started at the age of three when his grandmother broke out the Wiffle ball and bat. From that moment on Sam was hooked on baseball.

While Sam has been part of the Chicago Cubs organization for a few years it was really only been this year that fans have been able to see him shine. He’s spent most of his time in a variety of towns and minor league clubs. Sam’s impressed with his current company, “I have so much respect for players like (Cubs first baseman) Derrek Lee. They’re great players. But to meet them and actually play with them and contribute and help them win is kind of a surreal experience. It doesn’t seem too long ago that I was going to Fenway and idolizing these guys. I feel like a fan at times. I have to remind myself I’m a player.”

Senator Ted Kennedy’s Impact on Diabetes: Many mourned the recent passing of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy. Not surprising is the gentle anguish expressed by those who saw first hand his dedication to the eradication of diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) said in a recent statement, “Senator Kennedy worked diligently to defend access to affordable, quality health care for all Americans. He was also committed to pursuing biomedical research as demonstrated by his support of stem cell research and the reauthorization of the Special Diabetes Programs. Last November, the Association honored Senator Kennedy with the prestigious Public Policy Leadership Award for his unparalleled contributions in the fight to stop diabetes.”

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) said in 2000 they, “Applaud Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) for his work on legislation … that provided the largest boost for juvenile diabetes research funding in history. The legislation increased federal juvenile diabetes research funding at the National Institutes of Health from an estimated $134 million in fiscal year 2000 to approximately $220 million in fiscal year 2001, an increase of well over 60 percent.” Kennedy’s commitment to parity in medical care was a hallmark of his senatorial tenure.

Consider these statements from Kennedy’s own website …

“In 1978, Senator Kennedy cosponsored the Civil Rights Commission Act Amendments of 1978, which expanded the jurisdiction of the Civil Rights Commission to protect people from discrimination on the basis of disability. Two years later, Kennedy cosponsored the Civil Rights for Institutionalized Persons Act, which enforced the rights of people in government institutions such as the elderly, the disabled, the mental ill, and the incarcerated under the Constitution.”

“On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted into law. Introduced by Senator Kennedy and Senator Harkin, the ADA prohibited discrimination by a covered entity (employer, employment agency, labor organization, etc) against any qualified individual with a disability in job application procedures, hiring or discharge, compensation, advancement, training, etc. The law declared that no qualified individual with a disability shall be excluded from the participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination by a public entity, and also required accessible rail transportation and telephone services for persons with speech or hearing impairments.”

“In response the alarming level and increase in the victimization and violence against people with disabilities, Congress passed the Crime Victims and Disabilities Awareness Act of 1998. Kennedy cosponsored the bill, which directed the Attorney General to conduct a study on the issue and to include specific details regarding the crimes against people with disabilities and to include them in the National Crime Victimization Survey, an annual publication. In 2004, Kennedy was an original cosponsor of the Assistive Technology Act, which supported states in an effort to sustain and strengthen the capacity to meet the assistive technology needs of individuals. In addition, it would focus funding on investments in technology that could benefit those living with disabilities.”

Kennedy once said, “What we have in the United States is not so much a health-care system as a disease-care system.” He consistently sought to change this system. He was instrumental in the development and expansion of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and no matter your view on his politics he is considered a leader in health care reform and equality for American’s who are differently abled.

On behalf of all who have diabetes – thanks Senator Kennedy.

Swine Flu, Diabetes and Minorities: African American’s and Latinos may have more to fear from the H1N1 (Swine) flu than other ethnicities. Recent reports from Boston and Chicago indicate the majority of cases in those cities are among these two ethnic groups.

One of the causes cited is the tendency among these groups to have chronic health conditions like diabetes and asthma. When chronic illnesses are present there is a greater risk of suppressed immunity. In other words this scenario may make them more susceptible to contracting additional diseases – in this case swine flu.

A recent NPR report suggests, “Young people are more at risk of getting swine flu, and pregnant women, among others, have a higher chance of hospitalization from the new flu. Now public health officials are discovering that blacks and Latinos have a substantially higher risk of both.”

This report further suggests that it may be a combination of current health issues and ‘social circumstances’ that contribute to this alarming trend.

Researchers are making a vaccine for the H1N1 virus available, but it requires two separate inoculations for full effect. The struggle many African Americans and Latinos have is that it can be difficult to manage time for two separate doctor visits for the best protection from this flu strain. In many cases if a first injection is received a follow up injection may never happen.

The NPR report demonstrates the growing difference in Boston, “Blacks make up one-quarter of the city’s population, but they were 37 percent of the swine flu cases. Latinos are 14 percent of the population, but more than one-third of those with confirmed cases of the new H1N1 virus this spring and summer were Latino.”

In Boston the H1N1 virus seems to be hitting the black community the hardest. Many of the cases involving African Americans required hospitalization. A secondary marker for hospitalized cases was the addition of asthma among patients.

It is anticipated that health care providers will need to convince patients to come in for three separate visits. The first would be for the annual flu vaccine. This would be followed up by two visits when the swine flu vaccine becomes available in all areas of the country.

Dr. Steve Tringale of Codman Square Health Center in Boston told NPR, “[It’s] always a challenge, to come back a second time for full protection. Taking the time off work or getting babysitters or whatever it takes is always going to be an effort for patients.”

Boston is just one community urging business owners to allow their employees to take time off work to get the needed vaccinations.

For diabetics in general it is important to note that asthmatic conditions are common among diabetics. The risks involved in contracting flu strains are always troubling for those with diabetes, but especially so with the H1N1 virus. It is considered vital that those with diabetes take advantage of swine flu vaccinations when they become available. There was a time when the emphasis was only on the very young, those who were pregnant and senior citizens. This has been expanded to those with chronic illnesses. H1N1 has claimed lives and has also sent many to the hospital for an extended stay. Taking the time needed to protect yourself from this debilitating strain is not only advisable it could save your life.

Answer to Diabetes, Weight Loss and Coronary Disease: What if there was a way to inhibit the growth of fat cells within the body? What if because those fat cells were no longer resistant to insulin Type 2 diabetes was effectively eliminated? Those are the astounding ‘what if’s’ contemplated in new genetic research.

ScienceDaily.com noted, “Pappachan Kolattukudy, director of UCF’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences in the College of Medicine, found that a gene called MCPIP (Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 Induced Protein) controls the development of fat cells. Until now, a different protein, known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma), has been universally accepted as the master controller of fat cell formation, known as adipogenesis.”

Until now scientists have been looking at the wrong body protein in fat formation. What this means in it’s most simplified form is that new drug therapies can be developed that essentially tell the MCPIP to stop developing fat cells.

Obesity has become a global problem and diabetes follows this trend hand in hand. As health care costs continue to escalate and health care reform continues to be debated at a national level and in coffee shops around the world the answer to one of the greatest health care issues of our time may finally have an answer. ScienceDaily.com confirms the significance of this research, “The UCF findings give scientists a new direction for developing drugs that could benefit the more than 300 million people worldwide who are clinically obese — and who have much higher risks of suffering from chronic disease and disability. In addition, it is projected that more than 300 million people will be diabetic by the year 2025.”

As fat cells become inflamed they also become resistant to the beneficial effects of insulin. When that happens Type 2 diabetes can develop. This tiered process results in billions of dollars in health care costs each year.

It could be argued that diet and exercise can manage this issue on its own. In many cases this is true. However, there are exceptions to this rule. The potential development of drug therapies would likely not be a conventional approach to weight loss in that this approach would simply work to target MCPIP. The net effect would be better glucose control and a reduction in the development of Type 2 diabetes. Weight loss would be a welcome addition to the benefits. To put this in perspective Kolattukudy said, “Our research has shown that MCPIP is a regulator of fat cell formation and blood vessel formation that feeds the growing fat tissue. Therefore, a drug that can shut down its function can prevent obesity and the major inflammatory diseases resulting from obesity, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”

The reason inflamed fat cells make the body less capable of managing blood sugar is that they essentially repel the blood sugar from being accepted by the cells in the body so the glucose is forced into the blood stream by default. If the fat cells were able to resist inflammation then the blood glucose and insulin development would partner in effective management of the body’s energy and resulting elimination of excess glucose.

Like many advances in medical science this is both good news and bad. The good news is that this discovery will likely result in improved medical care. The bad news is more research will be required in order to proceed with drug development. What that means is that any drug therapy based on this discovery may still be several years away.

Health Care Reform Savings Overblown: American President Barack Obama has been very visible stumping for his health care reform plan. While some may argue about whether it is a grab for more government control others seem focused on clarity in medical cost issues.

Fact checkers have been pouring over details and statements made regarding the health care reform. One huge stumbling block has been Chronic Disease Management. Those in league with the President are quick to point out significant savings over the life of the patient by providing this element in a nationalized public health plan, although a government office seems to dispute the findings.

The Washington Post reported that several analysts believe that the cost of the plan (at more than $1,000 per patient per year) will actually cost the government more than traditional health programs. The Washington Post clarifies this fact in their report. “For diabetes patients, only about two-thirds of that cost would be recovered in the first decade, when fewer complications materialize, and more than three-quarters would be recovered over 25 years. Only for the youngest patients, those aged 24 to 30, would spending on preventive care wind up producing a net savings: the study calculates that $21 billion spent on younger patients would cut overall spending on their health care by $6 billion over 25 years.”

Recently an article in Health Affairs sides with aggressive chronic disease management. Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk Inc. paid for a study that, “Suggests that if the right programs are implemented, chronic disease management might actually be more cost-effective than some estimates suggest,” according to an article in FierceHealthFinance.

The difficulty is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is deriving some pessimistic figures by using one set of information while other organizations use separate data points. According to HealthCareFinanceNews, “The study’s (Novo Nordisk Inc.) authors present a new epidemiologically based model that projects federal costs for type 2 diabetes under different policy options. They argue that this model, and similar models for other chronic diseases such as heart disease, could be used to provide more accurate estimates of the long-term spending associated with diabetes treatment interventions.”

The sticking point is that the CBO looks at chronic diseases like diabetes for a period of ten years (projecting forward). Some analysts believe that timeframe is too small and should be widened to get a bigger picture that they believe would demonstrate savings.

Michael O’Grady, a senior fellow at NORC in Bethesda, Md. stated, “For many chronic illnesses, and in the case of diabetes in particular, complications from the disease may not show up for many years. Thus, cost estimates covering only 10 years may capture the up-front costs of prevention and disease management efforts but not the long-term health and economic benefits of avoiding future complications.”

It has been suggested that the CBO take a look at the cost analysis for prevention programs through a 25-year lens. This would allow a better projection on the costs related to prevention of diseases under President Obama’s health care reform plan.

Working models of this financial aspect indicate that the long-term costs of the program may, in fact, be less than the cost of current reactive care.

Independent of any health care reform medical science continues to urge Americans to watch what they eat and get enough exercise. The end result is enhanced blood glucose control and a physical condition that just feels better.

What We Can Learn From the Nigerian Diabetes Struggle: It may be rare that a diabetic news items comes from Africa, yet a recent editorial in Nigeria’s Daily Trust provides some interesting items to consider when discussing diabetes.

Unlike the United States and other well developed countries Nigeria does not have an effective means of tracking cases of diabetes, but this editorial indicates the estimated number of Nigerians who live with diabetes is about 5 million. The reasons for the increase are many, but this editorial provides some ideas.

“The rise of diabetes cases is occasioned by our changing and sedentary life-styles especially in urban areas where there are hardly places for sporting activities and public parks for recreation.”

“School children in both primary and secondary schools no longer have spaces for games and other physical exercises to improve their mental and physical fitness.”

“Children in the urban areas mostly stay indoors playing video games and watching television instead of exercising themselves.”

“The prevalence of junk, sugary and other fast-food restaurants contributes in no small measure in the escalation of the ailment.”

“In the urban areas, either because of cultural factors where the affluent men and women in the community cannot freely walk to exercise themselves, for instance for fear of exposure to kidnapping or other hazard, there are rampant cases of obesity that easily lead to diabetes.”

The editorial staff at the Daily Trust also provided what they believe to be remedial action needed to stop the progression of the disease in Nigeria.

“We call on the government to intensify public awareness about the causes of the ailment and the necessary preventive measures the public should take.”

“Those already diagnosed to be diabetic… should be enlightened on how the condition can be properly managed and at the same time live a perfectly normal life.”

“We call on the federal government to establish a National Diabetes Centre in Abuja for the research and treatment of the disease.”

“We urge the government to take special interest in the several claims by herbalists and traditional medicine practitioners for the treatment of the condition.”

The editorial provides a look at what writer(s) perceive to be the issues that contribute to the growth of diabetes in Nigeria. In many ways the struggles against a sedentary lifestyle and time consumed with video games and other electronics sound oddly familiar.

When it comes to ways to address the issue the writer(s) call on government help combined with personal responsibility to manage the growth of the disease.

While it might be easy to scoff at the notion of consulting with “herbalists and traditional medicine practitioners” there have been numerous advances in medicine based on the common sense practices of men and women who took what they had to create home spun potions to help treat various ailments. You don’t have to spend much time online to find information dedicated to natural remedies. The Daily Trust suggestion may not be as far fetched as you think.

Currently diabetics use various teas and supplements to provide some relief for their condition. It is likely there are several other traditional medicines that could prove beneficial as well.

What we can all agree with is that we long for a day when there is a solution to diabetes and the days of strict management will no longer be needed because a new life freedom has been found.

Let’s keep pressing for that day – together.