Diabetes mellitus is probably one of the most popular diseases that affect millions worldwide. Diabetes mellitus is a condition caused by the inability of your body to process and utilize blood sugar, known as blood glucose.
In diabetes, insulin is not able to regulate blood sugar resulting in high blood sugar levels. There are three types of diabetes mellitus, type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes which affect children, adults, and pregnant women respectively.
Diabetes affects most body organs, including the kidneys, eyes, heart, blood vessels, and nerves. Managing diabetes is important to prevent organ damage, and improve the quality of life of people affected with diabetes.
There are three main types of diabetes, depending on the level of insulin insufficiency:
The three main types of diabetes are all characterized by some form of insulin insufficiency – either insulin deficiency or insulin resistance.
If diabetes is left untreated, it can progress to cause more life-threatening conditions. These complications can affect the quality of life of people living with diabetes, and even cause death. Complications seen in diabetes include:
Although there is no permanent cure for diabetes, the disease can be managed to keep blood sugar levels low and prevent adverse tissue damage. Management is especially important to reduce inflammation and prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Type 1 diabetes can be successfully managed by administering insulin shots. As islet pancreas cells get destroyed, they can be supported by external insulin to maintain blood sugar levels. Insulin shots should be used with caution to prevent low blood sugar levels (which is worse than high blood sugar).
Steps to manage type 2 diabetes:
EECP is a non-invasive treatment used to treat people with chronic angina. The goal of EECP is to improve blood flow in blood vessels and flow to the heart.
In a study by Sardina et al (2015), EECP therapy was shown to improve glycemic indexes - fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial glucose (PPG), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HBa1c) within 48 hours, and 2 weeks after commencement of treatment.
These indexes, especially HbA1c, remained decreased for up to 3 months after EECP therapy. EECP is an effective alternative to medications and can help treat heart diseases in their early stages.
Our clinics at Oxyzhealth offer EECP therapy to diabetic patients who prefer home management of their cardiovascular diseases. Starting EECP early can help reduce glycemic parameters, and prevent long-term complications.
In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded more than 37 million Americans living with diabetes. The number of people affected by diabetes is a reflection of the risk factors around us.
Diabetes is popular as the "father of all diseases" because it can affect almost every tissue/organ in the body to cause different kinds of diseases. Diabetes causes a persistent, high level of sugar in the blood that can result in various levels of organ damage.
Type 1 diabetes is caused by insulin deficiency and affects children more. Symptoms appear early in most children and can become worse if left untreated. In comparison, type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance and affects adults more. The disease develops slowly, and symptoms usually appear later in life.
With the increasing number of people affected by diabetes, it has become a disease of serious concern globally. Early diagnosis and treatment are important to manage this disease and prevent complications. At Oxyzhealth, we are dedicated to providing solutions to treat diabetes and other diseases related to it for optimal health delivery.
