Non-communicable diseases, including diabetes mellitus, have now appeared as a major health problem in Indonesia. The increased number of well-trained pediatricians and non-specialist physicians on diabetes care unexpectedly reveals that the number of Indonesian people suffering from DM type-1 is much higher than the figures that are currently reported.
Aditya Suryansyah, an endocrinologist from Pediatric Endocrinology Working Unit at the Jakarta-chapter of the Indonesian Pediatricians Association (IDAI Jaya), said on Friday that insufficient attention had been paid to children living with DM type-1, even though it is a relatively rare diabetes condition which is
difficult to treat.
Most diabetes occurring in children are type-2 diabetes. Unlike the DM type-2, which was commonly caused by poor living conditions, an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyles, the DM type-1 came from pancreatic damages, he said.
“Children suffering from type-1 diabetes need to take insulin, enabling better control of their blood sugar levels. The problem is, measures taken to bring blood glucose levels down sometimes work in different ways,” Aditya told a press briefing at the Health Ministry office.
According to the IDAI Jaya, Indonesia has now only 33 endocrine pediatricians. A two-year survey carried out by the association’s pediatric endocrinology unit during the period between 2008 and 2010 showed that 674 people in Indonesia suffered from the DM type-1 whereas only 156 type-1 diabetic victims were revealed in the beginning of the survey in 2008.
Surveys held by the Health Ministry conclude that about 5.7 percent of Indonesian people suffer from diabetes. According to a diagnosis conducted by health workers, about 1.1 percent of the country’s population suffers from the lifelong disease caused by high levels of blood glucose. This means that about 8 million Indonesian people are living with diabetes.
Tjandra Yoga Aditama, Health Ministry director general of disease control and environmental health, said that more effort was needed to tackle type-1 diabetes, as incidents continued to increase. “The number of people with type-1 diabetes is not that high [compared with type-2 diabetes]. Still, we need to pay more attention to dealing with the disease because it can cause a heavy burden to public health,” he said.
The type-1 diabetes, or often referred to as “juvenile diabetes”, is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from damaged insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Shortages of insulin will lead to increased blood glucose. As a result, people with type-1 diabetes usually feel thirsty and hungry, although their body weight continues to decline. They also will experience excessive urination.
According to SJC Public Health, 8.7 percent of residents live with diabetes in the County; therefore, 59,621 residents out of 685,306 have developed diabetes. The report notes that 4 out of 5 of adult cases are adult onset type 2 diabetes —a preventable chronic disease.
While both nationally and locally, the Latino population follow the leading Non-Hispanic African American minority who suffers from the highest death rate caused by diabetes. Throughout the United States, 10.8 percent of non-Hispanic African Americans have Diabetes and Latinos are close with 10.6 percent. Among Hispanics/Latinos, diabetes prevalence rates 11.9 percent for Mexican-Americans, 12.6 percent for Puerto Ricans and are 8.2 percent for Cubans.
Diabetes, also called Diabetes mellitus, is a chronic illness that is characterized by a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced.
There are three types of Diabetes, Type 1 and 2 are incurable yet manageable. Type 1, also called Juvenile Diabetes begins in childhood and is caused by the body’s inability to produce insulin and Type 2, is caused by environmental factors that result in insulin resistance. The 3rd is gestational diabetes which is pregnancy onset and thus usually disappears after childbirth.
According to the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem harmless:
Type 1 diabetes symptoms
• Frequent urination
• Unusual thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual weight loss
• Extreme fatigue and irritability
Type 2 diabetes symptoms*
Any of the type 1 symptoms
Frequent infections
Blurred vision
Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
Recurring skin, gum or bladder infections
Often people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms.
“Studies have shown that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed. Thirty minutes a day, five days a week, of moderate physical activity (such as brisk walking) and a 7% reduction in body weight (or about 15 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds) can help lower your risk for type 2 diabetes,” commented Mayer-Davis. “In addition, many diabetes complications, whether you have type 1 or type 2, can be prevented or delayed with exercise and healthy eating and keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible.”
No comments:
Post a Comment