2023-11-27 09:14:32
by Patrizia Li Volsi
Diabetes can remain silent for a long period of time and go undiagnosed. Tiredness, loss of energy, weight loss but with increased appetite are some of the complaints in acute cases
There are numerous cases of diabetes mellitus in my family: what are the symptoms that could warn me in advance?
Answers Patrizia Li Volsi, diabetologist, Association of Diabetologists (GO TO THE FORUM)
Diabetes is a chronic disease that is increasingly widespread throughout the world. In Italy, according to Istat data, over 3.5 million people suffer from it (but many don’t know it). characterized by an increase in glycemia, i.e. the sugar level in the blood, due to a defect in the secretion or action of the insulin hormone produced by the cells of the pancreas. It would be desirable to diagnose and treat diabetes as soon as possible to avoid incurring complications of the disease, for example cardiovascular problems, damage to the nerves, kidneys and eyes. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, which represents between 5% and 10% of cases, and type 2, which affects the majority of diabetes patients, i.e. over 90%. The two pathologies differ in the way they arise, the therapy and the impact on the patients’ lives.
Beta cells of the pancreas
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that tends to arise especially during childhood and adolescence, in some cases also in adult patients, and is caused by the almost total destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas by autoantibodies and therefore by lack of insulin. Type 2 diabetes usually presents after the age of 30-40, but the age of onset is increasingly earlier. The most important risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes include familiarity with the disease, a sedentary lifestyle, a diet too rich in fats and sugars, overweight and obesity. Since the rise in blood sugar in type 2 diabetes can arise gradually (usually more suddenly in type 1 diabetes), there may be no symptoms present in the initial stages and even years may pass before diagnosis, with the result that at the time of discovery of the disease the typical complications may already be present and difficult to reversible.
Symptoms of diabetes
Diabetes can therefore remain silent for a long period of time and go undiagnosed. However, in acute cases the presenting symptoms may include: tiredness, loss of energy, increased urinary volume (polyuria) resulting in thirst (polydipsia), weight loss but with increased appetite (polyphagia), blurred vision; in more serious cases nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and acetonemic breath may also be present. Recently our country has introduced screening for children and adolescents to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes, given that a monoclonal antibody capable of intervening in the early stages of the disease will soon be available. You can try to prevent type 2 diabetes by adopting a Mediterranean-type diet, low in fats of animal origin and calories, which contains whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fish and extra virgin olive oil and by practicing regular physical exercise.
Who is most at risk
Given that the disease is often asymptomatic, blood glucose checks are important especially in people considered to be at high risk, for example those over 45 years of age, overweight (especially if the fat is located in the abdomen), with a sedentary lifestyle, relatives, impaired fasting blood sugar (between 110 and 125 mg/dl), arterial hypertension and/or belonging to high-risk ethnic groups (Hispanic, Asian, African); for women, having given birth to a child weighing more than 4 kg or having suffered from gestational diabetes are risk factors. Studies such as the Diabetes Prevention Program and the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study, in fact, have shown that a healthy diet and physical exercise can reduce the risk of diabetes by 58-60% in people predisposed to developing the disease.
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November 27, 2023 (modified November 27, 2023 | 08:14)
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