As India continues to witness a mild increase in Covid-19 cases in some parts of the country, the Indian Council of Medical Research has issued new guidelines for people living with type-1 diabetes. The health body said the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has disproportionately affected people with diabetes, exposing them to a higher risk for serious illness and mortality.
“India’s home World’s second largest adult diabetes population And every sixth person suffering from diabetes in the world is an Indian. The country has witnessed a 150 per cent increase in the number of people living with diabetes in the last three decades.” The prevalence of the disease is becoming evident in the age group of 2534 years, both in urban and rural areas.
What Is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease characterized by insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia in people with an underlying genetic susceptibility. The risk of type 1 diabetes is three percent, five percent and eight percent, respectively, when the mother, father and siblings have a history of the disease.
It develops in children and adolescents because the pancreas either stops making insulin or makes it in very small amounts. Without insulin, blood sugar cannot move to cells and builds up in the bloodstream. Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction, which destroys cells in the pancreas that make insulin, called beta cells.
A woman with diabetes uses a glucometer to measure glycemia in her blood in Paris. (Photo: AFP)
How to prevent type 1 diabetes?
Globally, about 1.1 million people under the age of 20 are estimated to be affected by type 1 diabetes and Every year 0.13 million people suffer from this diseaseR, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Atlas. The latest ICMR guidelines focus on the following:
Ensuring good diet, exercise
According to the ICMR, lifestyle management (LSM) plays an essential role in the management of type 1 diabetes, and understanding the impact of diet and physical activity on glycemia is essential for optimal management of the disease. The health body states that people need to maintain optimum blood pressure, weight and lipid levels, ensure adequate nutrition to facilitate healthy growth and development in children, and addressing individualized nutrition Including personal, social and cultural preferences.
“Indian (particularly South-Indian and East-Indian) diets are rich in simple carbohydrates. Intake of complex carbohydrates should be encouraged to make up at least 70% of total carbohydrates,” the guidelines state. Meanwhile, regular physical activity enhances a sense of general well-being and helps prevent obesity, and reduces increased cardiovascular risk.
insulin therapy
All children and adults with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) require continuous insulin as soon as they are diagnosed and for life thereafter. Therefore, it becomes necessary to be careful while using them. ICMR has stated in its guidelines that whatever insulin regimen is in place, optimal use should be made by the diabetes team including physicians, diabetes educators and nutritionists to educate and support the patient and his family about their best use. Depends on painstaking care. as well as insulin dosage adjustment.
The ICMR has also identified a few side effects that can occur due to insulin, including hypoglycemia, weight gain, and infections. “An optimal insulin dosage is one that will achieve good glycemic control without frequent hypoglycemic episodes,” states the ICMR.
blood glucose level monitoring
ICMR in its new briefing has said that monitoring of blood glucose is an important factor that predicts glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that patients who Type-1 diabetics should monitor blood sugar Before meals and snacks, before bedtime, before exercise, when they suspect low plasma glucose, and after they have been treated for low plasma glucose (until blood glucose returns to normal), and resume any important tasks such as driving before doing.
“Individuals with type 1 diabetes need support to survive, use insulin and other treatments, and live their full lives without stigma, restrictions or disabling complications due to their disease,” the ICMR said in its brief.