Avoiding 'the curse'

The number of people with diabetes is growing every year. Watch out for the signs and change your lifestyle to avoid being part of this statistic, writes MICHELLE McDONAGH

ONE OF the main contributory factors to the epidemic of type 2 diabetes in Ireland is the increased weight of the population. An obese adult is three times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, compared with somebody who remains within a healthy weight range and, worryingly, young obese people are five to 10 times more likely to go on to develop the disease.

However, Dr Anna Clarke, health promotion manager with Diabetes Ireland, says you don’t have to lose a large amount of weight to gain the benefits.

Ideally, a person with diabetes on a weight-loss programme should aim to lose one pound per week and ensure that they have a medication review for every half stone lost or if they lose more than two pounds per week, she says.

RTÉ's health promotion show, Operation Transformation, is this year highlighting the consequences and complications of having undiagnosed or poorly managed type 2 diabetes through Cavan chef Michael Casey. To coincide with the show, Diabetes Ireland has launched a dedicated microsite at diabetes.ie where people can find out more about the risk factors, symptoms and complications that can be caused by type 2 diabetes.

The number of people with diabetes in Ireland is growing each year. At present, there are 191,000 people with the condition, 30,000 of whom are undiagnosed. A recent VHI study estimates that there are a further 146,000 Irish people with pre-diabetes – a quarter of these people will develop type 2 diabetes in the next five years unless they change their lifestyles.

Clarke says people living with undiagnosed diabetes are running the risk of damaging their long-term health and quality of life. “If you are one of the people who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, you can minimise this risk by eating a healthy diet and getting moderate exercise, becoming more active and maintaining a healthy weight,” she says.

“Undiagnosed or poorly controlled diabetes can damage someone’s heart, arteries, eyes, nerves and kidneys, leading to serious health problems for them and their family to cope with. This is why the earlier people are diagnosed, the more they can prevent or control these health problems from occurring.”

The most common form of diabetes, type 2, usually develops slowly in adulthood. It is progressive and can sometimes be treated with diet and exercise, but more often type 2 diabetes may require anti-diabetic medicine and/or insulin injections along with healthy eating and taking regular physical activity.

Dublin businessman Ray O’Toole was diagnosed with mature onset type 2 diabetes 14 years ago at the age of 33. He describes his diabetes as “a curse that he has to live with” and that he struggles with constantly.

Two years before he was diagnosed, O’Toole was told during a routine medical that he was pre-diabetic, but he was given no advice at the time on how to avoid developing full-blown diabetes.

He admits his control of diabetes has not always been the best, but since doing the DAFNE (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) programme (which is normally for type 1 diabetics) at the Loughlinstown Hospital diabetic clinic three years ago, it has been better.

“At times my diabetes does my head in – four or five injections a day every single day for the rest of my life, three tablets in the morning, can’t get out of the bed, have to go to bed, can’t work, headaches, shouldn’t eat this, bad form, too tired to play golf, massive hangover after only two drinks the night before, feeling sick, complications, etc,” he says.

“In the past few years, I’ve had to have 12 laser eye operations to try to stop the roots at the back of my eyes from leaking. I’m blind in my left eye, so this is a huge worry for me. I worry about my feet and toes as some sufferers have had to have toes amputated. This diabetes is a life sentence without parole.”

Eileen Slevin (50) was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 24 and for years, refused to accept that she had the condition. She was very overweight at the time of her diagnosis, had a poor diet and did no exercise. She was started on oral medication and given advice on changing her diet but over the years, she found it very difficult to control the condition. Her health continued to deteriorate and five years ago, she was put on insulin as well as a new oral medication.

At this point, she had been forced to retire from her job due to her bad health and had reached the stage where she felt life was not worth living. However, since stopping working, she is walking four to six miles five days a week and has finally managed to get her diabetes under control.

“I have never been able to control my diabetes as well as I have since I started walking. I always had spikes and lows, but walking has been the most successful treatment for me,” she says.

“I also eat a lot better than I did, which hasn’t been easy as I have always been a desperately finicky eater. Being in control of my diabetes has given me a new lease of life.”

Find out more about type 2 diabetes on diabetes.ie call the Diabetes Helpline on 1850-909909 or talk to your GP.

You are more at risk of getting type 2 diabetes

IF YOU:

Are over 40 years of age;

Have a parent or sibling with diabetes;

Had diabetes during a pregnancy;

Are overweight for your height;

Do not take 30 minutes’ exercise daily;

Have high blood pressure;

Have high cholesterol.

AND/OR RECOGNISE ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS:

Blurred vision;

Fatigue or lack of energy;

Extreme thirst;

Frequent urination, especially at night;

Rapid and unexplained weight gain or loss;

Frequent infections;

Numbness, pain or tingling in your hands or feet.

The more risk factors or symptoms you have, the more likely you are to have diabetes or pre-diabetes.