DIABETES – MYTHS AND FACTS

 

Every Indian doctor sees patients with diabetes no matter what his/her speciality and field of interest are. India is the Diabetes capital of the world with almost 76 million diabetics!  A complex set of factors contribute to the development of diabetes including genes, environment and lifestyle. Most of our patients develop the disease in their adulthood and are so patients of Adult onset Diabetes or Type II Diabetes. Type I Diabetes or Juvenile onset Diabetes is an auto-immune disease where the body starts attacking its own cells called Beta cells of pancreas which manufacture Insulin.

 

As Western diet is becoming more popular, which means more refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and trans fats more and more Indians are becoming diabetic. As the urbanization of cities continues, more people are leading less active and sedentary lives and this again increases the risk of diabetes. So, the contributors that have been linked to increases in diabetes prevalence in India are:

• lack of education about diabetes prevention strategies
• vegetarian food choices that are high in carbohydrates, oils, and fats
• increased consumption of processed meats
• low consumption of fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains
• less exercise
• more screen time
• tobacco use
• alcohol use
• environmental pollution
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol levels

Other risk factors for diabetes among people in India include:

• higher rates in married and separated people compared with single people
• having obesity
• having a higher waist circumference
• a family history of diabetes

People of Asian descent may also have more visceral fat, which is abdominal fat around the organs, and can increase the risk of diabetes.

 

 

While most of our patients may not be well educated but the real problem is when they are not well informed. Even educated people believe in many misleading myths surrounding diabetes. Here are 12 diabetes-related myths which I have encountered in my practice and which I am trying to debunk:

 

Myth 1: Diabetes Isn't a Serious Disease Fact: Diabetes IS a serious, chronic disease. However, its effects can be controlled if managed properly. Nevertheless, it still kills more people annually than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.

 

Myth 2: Diabetes Is a Death Sentence Fact: This isn't true. The better diabetics take care of themselves, the longer they will live. The doctor’s recommendations with regard to diet and exercise should be followed closely, ensuring that medication is taken correctly.

 

Myth 3: You Can't Do Too Much Exercise if You Have Diabetes Fact: While it’s true that diabetics who take insulin or other medications that increase insulin production in the body have to balance exercise, insulin levels, and diet, those who are taking oral medications such as metformin and sitagliptin can exercise as much as they like.

 

Myth 4: You'll get Diabetes if you’re Overweight or Obese  Fact: While weight is a risk factor for diabetes, there are other factors at play too, such as family history. Many overweight people never develop Type 2 diabetes. There are also many Type 2 diabetics with a normal weight.

 

Sir Fredrick Banting

Myth 5: Insulin Will Do You Harm Fact: Insulin is actually a lifesaver, but what makes it challenging is that many people find it difficult to manage. Taking insulin safely requires testing blood sugar levels many times a day to avoid harmful low blood sugar reactions. I always tell my patients that Sir Fredrick Banting and Dr. Best who discovered Insulin were awarded the Nobel Prize for their feat whereas we don’t even remember the guys who invented the oral hypoglycemic drugs.

 

Myth 6: Diabetes Means You Don't Produce Enough Insulin Fact: This is true for people with type 1 diabetes – their pancreas stops producing insulin completely. Those who have the more common type of diabetes, type 2, tend to have sufficient insulin when they’re first diagnosed. The main problem type 2 diabetics have is that their insulin doesn’t cause the cells in their bodies to absorb glucose from the food they eat. Their pancreases may also stop producing enough insulin with the passage of time, which means they’ll need injections.

 

Myth 7: Diabetes Means You Have to Inject Yourself Fact: All patients dread the idea of daily injections. Injections are only applicable to diabetics who inject their medications. These days, insulin pens that don’t require injections are available. Furthermore, drawing blood to measure blood sugar is painless thanks to the latest blood sugar meters. Many new diabetes medications can also be taken orally.

 

Myth 8. Eating Too Much Sugar Causes Diabetes Fact: The only shred of truth in this myth is that recent research has indicated those who were already at risk of developing diabetes increased their risk of developing it further by drinking lots of sugared drinks. Sugar in itself, doesn’t cause diabetes, however, it does contribute to obesity, which is a major cause of the disease.

 

Myth 9: "I Know Exactly When My Blood Sugar Level Is High or Low" Fact: This one is particularly dangerous because some diabetics tend to rely on how they’re feeling as a gauge for whether their blood sugar levels are low. While certain symptoms are indicative of low blood sugar levels, they tend to become less accurate over time. The only sure-fire way of knowing whether they’re low or not is to actually check.

 

Myth 10: Diabetics Can't Eat Sweets Fact: Diabetics can eat whatever they want, as long as they pay attention to portion sizes and how often they’re eating their favorite treat. What they cannot do is eat too much of what they like. An example of this is having a squeezed rasgulla instead of a syrup laden one and a smaller piece of cake instead of the usual dessert, and not having dessert often.

 

Myth 11: Diabetes makes you more prone to Colds or Flu Fact: While diabetics are no more vulnerable to contagious illnesses than anyone else, getting flu vaccine shots is important, because diabetics are a lot more likely to suffer serious complications from the flu than those who do not have the disease. The maximum number of mortalities in the Covid pandemic was among the uncontrolled diabetes population.

 

Myth 12: Diabetics on Insulin Haven't Taken Care of Themselves Fact: During the early stages of the disease, or just after diagnosis, insulin levels can be controlled adequately through eating a healthy diet, exercising and oral medications. As the disease progresses, your pancreas may begin to produce less insulin or stop producing insulin completely, which means that you’ll require insulin injections.

 

Diabetics are expected to lead a disciplined life and need not worry at all as their life expectancy is never compromised if they remain in control. Other prevention and treatment strategies for them include:

• diabetes screening and education
• early diagnosis and treatment
• adequate blood glucose control with oral medications or insulin
• target organ survey – heart, kidney, eyes and feet
• access to diabetes care
• cholesterol and blood pressure control
• foot and eye care for people with diabetes
• screening for kidney problems and other diabetes-related conditions