Diabetes cases growing

Credit to Author: MAYLENE STEPHANIE S. VIRAY| Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2018 17:32:06 +0000

Now widespread among millennials, BPO workers, OFWs
IN the country’s labor force, cases of diabetes are expected to grow among millennials, business process outsourcing (BPO) workers and overseas Filipino workers (OFW), according to a health expert. Already, about 6.1 million Filipinos were diagnosed with diabetes, and the figure will double by 2040 if current trends prevail.

The vulnerability of the three groups is from the many risks their job poses, such as a working environment that does not support physical activity; constant exposure to work strain and/or emotional stress; and limited to no access to affordable and nutritious food. This, according to Jeremy Robles, an endocrinologist and vice president of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (PSEDM).

“We should all be worried because if we look closely, these groups belong to the sectors that drive our economy,” Robles said.

“Considering that uncontrolled diabetes is a major cause of kidney failure, blindness and amputations as well as a major contributor to heart attacks and stroke, imagine the out-of-pocket expenses resulting from medical costs, hospital bills, not to mention the workplace disruptions and loss of productivity that will occur,” he added

Robles also warned that diabetes would impose a significant economic burden on the national healthcare system and would continue to do so in the next two decades, even in a conservative scenario.

“Disturbingly, this trend is reflected internationally. Meaning, millennials (those born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s) will be more susceptible as they are not eating better and exercising more, possibly due to environmental, lifestyle and other factors,” Robles explained.

Each year, an estimated 3,600 children and young adults are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the United States. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, nearly 7,000 cases were reported in this year alone, according to The Lancet medical journal.

Prominent segments
The risk of acquiring diabetes is more prominent among BPO workers — estimated to be over 1 million Filipinos — who mostly answer phone calls from different time zones. Their job duties make them prone not only to sore throat, cough and sleep problems, but also to risk factors linked to the development of diabetes, which includes inactivity, weight gain, uncontrolled high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Likewise, Filipinos working abroad are also prone to getting the disease. Their job duties forces them to often skip meals, work long hours and even skip days off, overlooking their health. “A lot of them forget the value of exercise, eating healthy and getting enough sleep in their quest to provide a better life for their families back home. These unhealthy habits leave them vulnerable to health risks such as diabetes,” warned Robles.

Changing lifestyles, managing diabetes
Robles said that type 2 diabetes, once thought to be largely irreversible, could be managed through lifestyle changes and moderate weight loss. “Why not park a few blocks away from the office to compel one to walk more? If snacking cannot be avoided, opt for healthier alternatives instead of those food high in salt, sugar or cholesterol. More importantly, stop smoking and lessen alcohol consumption,” he suggested.

He added that during early stages of pre-diabetes and diabetes, symptoms would often subtle and could nearly be missed. These include thirst, fatigue, increase in appetite, frequent urination, itching skin, tingling and numbness in the hands or feet, and frequent and recurring infections.

Stressing the importance of early detection and prevention, Robles said: “The best thing to do is to see a doctor, preferably an endocrinologist who has special training and experience in treating people with diabetes.”

The doctor recommended getting a glycated hemoglobin (A1C) blood test, which shows one’s average blood sugar level. Meanwhile, for a more accurate determination of diabetes, doctors may opt for the fasting blood sugar test or the oral glucose tolerance test. The former allows blood samples to be taken after an overnight fast, while the latter are for patients with high fasting blood glucose, but are not high enough to meet the diagnosis for diabetes.

Apart from constant monitoring of blood sugar, Robles said extra medications would be needed by patients with type 2 diabetes. These include one aimed to help the pancreas (an organ that produces insulin to help regulate blood glucose levels) to release more insulin, and another to help cells use insulin better, if it can’t control the liver from releasing too much glucose.

Moreover, from the progressive nature of type 2 diabetes, insulin therapy may also be required to achieve optimal blood sugar control. Recent developments of new generation long-acting basal insulin have resulted in significant improvements in the managing type 2 diabetes.

“When lifestyle modifications and treatment with oral anti-diabetic drugs have failed to achieve normal blood sugar level, timely initiation of single-dose basal insulin treatment may prove as a convenient, effective and recommended strategy,” he said.

“I believe the most important message here is that diabetes management has shifted away from ‘one size fits all’ care to an individualized approach for each patient. This is because even though we all have the same goals, there is not one set of advice that covers everybody with type 1 diabetes or everybody with type 2 diabetes. More importantly, successful diabetes care requires a patient’s consistent self-care behaviors such as attention to diet, exercise, preventive care measures, drug adherence and self-monitored blood glucose,” Robles said.

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