EXPERTS AIM TO CURB DIABETES, SLOW THE PROGRESSION

Sedentary lifestyles, rapid urbanization and the popularity of processed foods that are high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fat content are putting more and more people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, a condition wherein the body is unable to keep up and can’t make enough insulin to keep blood glucose at normal levels.

Unlike, Type 1 diabetes wherein the body’s immune system attacks and kills the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, the cause of Type 2 diabetes is multifactorial—family history of the disease, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, and obesity.

There are now 422 million adults worldwide living with Type 2 diabetes. Among these adults, six million are in the Philippines. In fact, the country now ranks 11th in the world with the highest prevalence of Type 2 diabetes.

By 2030, the Philippines is expected to be among the world’s top 10 countries where diabetes is prevalent. “Diabetes is currently the eighth leading cause of death in the country, causing more deaths a year than breast cancer and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) combined. Two out of three people with diabetes are dying from kidney failure, heart attack or stroke,” informs Dr. Araceli Panelo, chair of the In- stitute for the Studies of Diabetes Foundation Inc., during the recent launch of “Mission: Diabetes Early Control 365,” an initiative being spearheaded by the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians and multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

Collective reduction

The nationwide campaign aims to reach a collective reduction of 1,000 HbA1c percent per day, in 365 days, for a total of 365,000 HbA1c percent reduction. The HbA1c or glycated hemoglobin is a marker in the blood that enables doctors to get an overall picture of what a person’s average blood sugar levels have been over a period of weeks or months.

Considering eight out of 10 Filipinos with Type 2 diabetes struggle to achieve their ideal blood glucose levels, the campaign aims to teach and help patients how to properly manage diabetes to prevent if not delay complications.

The campaign will focus on the “4Ms” of diabetes prevention and management: motivation, mentoring, monitoring, and medication. “If we can put all our patients in three months time of achieving the goal of 6.5 percent of HbA1c, then we have achieved our goal,” explains Dr. Joey Miranda, a member of the steering committee of Mission: Diabetes Early Control 365.

The mission, launched last October, started by offering free HbA1c testing, lipid screening, blood pressure check, weight and BMI management and BMI analysis. Cities and provinces covered by the campaign include Taguig, Parañaque, Marikina, Lipa, Baguio, Cabanatuan, Batangas City, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Cavite, Cebu, and Iloilo.

“Our goal is to promote effective blood glucose control and prevent serious Type 2 complications among Filipino diabetics,” says Dr. Justin Chin, country president of AstraZeneca Phils.

Dr. Aurora Macaballug, Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism board member adds the Mission: Diabetes Early Control 365 aims to give patients good quality of life, like making a choice between pasta, rice or bread. “Most patients will appreciate that. Goals must be doable and achievable or else it will fail,” she says.

Diet, lifestyle modification

It is imperative, for instance, that patients make a diet and lifestyle modification. One cannot go without the other.

• Eating right. Preventing or managing diabetes means balancing the food you eat. Keep a record of what you eat and drink, including the amounts. Also, get in the habit of weigh-

ing or measuring food portions at least a couple of times a month.

• Avoid skipping meals. Skipping meals can make you more hungry, moody and unable to focus. Learn what works best for you. Some people like three meals a day, while others enjoy two meals and two snacks, so find an eating pattern that is healthy for you and stick with it.

• Limit foods. that are high in saturated fats or trans fats. Eat a variety of fruits and veggies every day and avoid fatty cuts of meat, fried food, whole milk and dairy products made from whole milk, cakes, candy, cookies, crackers, pies, lard, shortening, margarine and nondairy creamers. Instead, increase your fiber intake by eating whole grain food, such as oatmeal, whole grain rice, whole wheat bread, bagels, pita bread, tortillas, breakfast cereals with 100 percent whole grains.

• Be active. It is recommended to have a moderate-intensity physical activity for at least 30 minutes, five or more days a week, such as brisk walking, bicycling, dancing, swimming, or yoga.