Number of Diabetes Cases Expected to Reach 578 Million by 2030

The number of people living with diabetes is expected to reach 578 million by 2030. More than 460 million people globally are at risk. Early diagnosis, access to testing, and small lifestyle changes for COVID-19 patients with diabetes, which poses high risk, can make a significant difference. Abbott drew attention to diabetes on World Diabetes Day, recognized as a serious global epidemic. Diabetes, affecting millions of people today, stands out as a serious chronic disease in Turkey as well. Over the past 1.5 years, the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the world has once again highlighted the importance of the disease, with diabetic patients placed in the high-risk group.

What is Diabetes (Sugar Disease)?

Diabetes, commonly known as sugar disease, is a condition that develops when the pancreas fails to produce sufficient amounts of insulin for the body or when insulin is not used effectively by the body. Diabetes has multiple types. For example, in Type 1 diabetes, the body naturally reduces insulin production. In Type 2 diabetes (Gestational diabetes), the body develops resistance to insulin's effects. As a result, blood sugar rises, causing hyperglycemia. A form of sugar disease that does not fully manifest is referred to as hidden sugar or pre-diabetes.

What are the Symptoms of Diabetes (Sugar Disease)?

People with diabetes generally exhibit three main symptoms. These include constant hunger, frequent urination, and excessive thirst due to dry mouth and a sweet taste sensation. Other symptoms observed in diabetic patients are as follows:

• Weakness and fatigue
• Rapid and involuntary weight loss
• Blurred vision
• Numbness and tingling in the feet
• Slower wound healing than normal
• Dry skin and itching
• Acetone-like odor in the mouth

What is Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 Diabetes or Type 1 Sugar Disease means the body cannot produce sufficient amounts of insulin hormone to control blood sugar. In this case, sugar (glucose) levels in the blood rise. In Type 1 diabetes, daily insulin injections are needed to keep blood sugar levels under control. Type 1 diabetes generally appears at an early age. Type 1 diabetes develops as a result of the body's immune system attacking the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Type 1 sugar disease can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis, also referred to as DKA. DKA occurs when there is severe insulin deficiency in the body. Unable to use sugar for energy, the body begins to rely on stored fat instead. As the body uses stored fat, chemicals called ketones are left behind.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a common condition that causes blood sugar (glucose) levels to be very high. The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes may not be easily noticed because the effects may not always be negative on the body. This type of diabetes occurs when cells develop resistance to normally produced insulin, and therefore cannot benefit from the blood sugar. Excessive weight, sedentary lifestyle, stress, family history of sugar disease, and advancing age are among the causes of Type 2 diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes, in addition to symptoms normally seen such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, and fatigue, there is an increased likelihood of serious problems related to the heart and nerves. Type 2 diabetes, which affects a person's daily life for a lifetime, may require dietary changes, medication use, and regular medical check-ups to be controlled.

Can Diabetes be Prevented?

It is known that good treatment and adherence to treatment yield good results in diabetes control. After a diabetes diagnosis is made, prevention includes regular monitoring and prevention of diabetic complications. However, it is also possible to prevent diabetes before it develops and to protect at-risk individuals from diabetes. Today, important research results conducted to prevent diabetes show that education, lifestyle changes—namely acquiring healthy eating habits—and regular exercise can reduce the incidence of diabetes by 58 percent. Methods used in diabetes monitoring and challenges encountered Blood sugar monitoring is a fundamental component of diabetes care to keep sugar under control. Early diagnosis and effective treatment of diabetes, particularly through continuous monitoring and control of sugar levels, reduces the rate of complications and allows limiting the costs caused by complications and improving people's quality of life. Regular blood measurements are performed during the diagnosis and treatment process. Currently, methods frequently used in diabetes monitoring are fasting and postprandial blood sugar measurements performed in laboratories that provide the patient's glucose status at the moment of measurement, the HbA1c test that provides an average of glucose values from approximately the last three months, and "instantaneous" glucose measurements provided through glucometers that show the capillary blood sugar value at the moment of measurement by pricking the finger during daily life. Today, people mostly control their blood sugar using the finger-pricking method, which only shows instantaneous sugar results. However, the pain and difficulties experienced in blood sugar measurement by finger pricking cause fewer measurements to be performed than necessary and prevent diabetes management from being carried out at the desired level. Furthermore, since it only shows instantaneous sugar values, it is not possible to observe how sugar progresses and varies in trend as a result of activities or nutrition carried out during the day. A new era in the fight against diabetes Blood sugar levels can be measured throughout the day with a glucose measurement sensor applied to the back of the upper arm without the need for finger pricking. Sensors measure glucose levels in the fluid between cells, not blood glucose levels. This measurement method has been approved for use as an alternative to finger-prick measurements. With these sensors, not only "instantaneous" blood sugar values can be seen but also all sugar trends occurring throughout day and night. This means continuous monitoring of blood sugar during daily activities (while running, immediately after eating, when hungry, while sleeping). The results are recorded in the system, creating detailed and easy-to-understand reports such as glucose variability reports. Considering the point technology has reached today, mobile applications developed specifically for diabetes, which requires frequent monitoring and regular follow-up, and digital solutions created in digital environments are of great importance. Thus, diabetic adults and children can manage their diabetes more effectively without struggling or pain, performing measurements as needed and easily sharing and analyzing these measurement results with their physicians, and preventing complications that diabetes can cause. On the other hand, telemedicine and tele-monitoring applications have provided great benefits in remote care and monitoring of people for many years. Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, these systems were tested once again. Glucose data from people using continuous glucose monitoring systems can be remotely evaluated by healthcare professionals, which facilitates objective discussion and treatment of glycemic performance through established and widespread telehealth tools and diabetes digital health ecosystems.