DIABETES

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the body's blood glucose processing. Glucose being a

primary source of energy for the body cells needs insulin, a pancreatic hormone, to enter the

cells. In diabetes, the body either lacks the ability to produce enough insulin or lacks the ability

to effectively use it, resulting to increase in blood glucose level.

Diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation, is one of the most common

chronic diseases globally, affecting approximately 537 million adults (20 - 79 years) and 1.2

million children and adolescents (0 - 19 years) in 2021. Diabetes has been on steady Increase

over the past few decades, and has been projected to keep increasing in the years to come.

Types of Diabetes

There are two main types of diabetes:

1. Type 1 diabetes: This is an autoimmune disease in which the insulin producing pancreatic

cells are being attacked and destroyed by the body's immune system. It is usually diagnosed

in young adults and children, accounting for approximately 5-10% of diabetes cases.

2. Type 2 diabetes: This is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for about 90-95% of

diabetes cases. This is as result of the body's resistance to insulin or inability to produce

enough insulin needed to maintain normal blood glucose levels. Usually, it is diagnosed in

adults, but fast becoming common among children and adolescents due to high obesity rate

and decrease in physical activity.

Other less common types of diabetes includes; gestational diabetes, which occurs during

pregnancy, and monogenic diabetes, resulted by mutations in a single gene.

Screening Tool
Testing for diabetes is important in early detection, prevention and delay of complications. The

most commonly used tool for diabetes screening is the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test, which

measures the glucose level in the blood following an overnight fast. A level of 126 mg/dL or

higher indicates diabetes.

Another tool used for screening is the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), which involves

drinking a glucose solution and measuring the blood glucose level two hours later. A level of

200 mg/dL or higher indicates diabetes. The OGTT is more sensitive than the FPG test but is less

commonly used due to its inconvenience.

Recommendation

The American Diabetes Association recommends that all adults aged 35 years or older should

be screened for diabetes every three years. Individuals with risk factors for diabetes, such as

obesity, physical inactivity, a family history of diabetes, and a history of gestational diabetes,

should be screened earlier and more frequently.

In conclusion, diabetes is a prevalent chronic condition affecting millions of people globally.

Diabetes screening is essential for early detection and prevention of complications. FPG test is

the commonly used tool for screening, and the ADA recommends that all adults aged 45 and

older should be screened for diabetes every three years. Individuals with risk factors for

diabetes should be screened earlier and more frequently.

References

American Diabetes Association (2021). Standard of Medical Care in Diabetes. Diabetes Care,
Vol.45, S1-S2. doi:https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-Sint
American Diabetes Association (2002). Screening for Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 25(suppl_1): s21–
s24. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.25.2007.S21
International Diabetes Federation (2023). What is diabetes? Accessed 12/06/2023.
https://idf.org/aboutdiabetes/what-is-diabetes.html
International Diabetes Federation (2021). Facts and figures. Accessed 12/06/2023.
https://idf.org/aboutdiabetes/what-is-diabetes/facts-figures.html