Health Information: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and its risks

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic, non-communicable, and one of the worst disease conditions. If we can’t keep it under control, it slowly but surely damages almost all the important parts of our body. It is caused due to deficiency of a single hormone called Insulin or inefficiency of it. Due to this reason, blood sugar (glucose) levels in the blood remain persistently high. Initially there may not be any symptoms. However, eventually symptoms start to appear!

According to the IDF (International Diabetes Federation), in 2024, 588.7 million people around the world were living with DM. It is estimated that by 2050, the number will reach 852.5 million! The number of people living with diabetes is increasing pretty fast, the fastest in the African region. However, considering the total number, the Western Pacific has the largest population with DM.

As told above, a diabetes patient may remain asymptomatic and undiagnosed for a long time. We may find it during routine check ups. But, sometimes, a patient may present with the classical symptoms such as increased urine output, increased hunger and thirst, weight loss, etc. Sometimes, a diabetes patient may present with acute complications or chronic complications!

A diabetic is at higher risk of various acute and chronic complications. For example, a diabetes patient is at 25 times more risk for blindness than a non-diabetic person. Similarly, the risk of lower limb amputation is 20 times, the risk of brain stroke is 6 times, the risk of kidney damage is 5 times, and the risk of a heart attack is 2-3 times higher than a non-diabetic!

Hafiz