Zanna Anderson ’27 | Science Editor
This year’s theme for World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14 is ‘Diabetes and Well-being.’ The 2024 theme aims to emphasize the importance of both the physical well-being and mental well-being of those impacted.
Care for diabetes is oftentimes centered around blood sugar monitoring, neglecting other aspects of diabetes care and the diverse needs of patients. According to the United Nations, this year’s theme aims to put overall well-being at the heart of diabetes management and treatment. Thus prompting the question: How can the lives of those with diabetes be made a little easier?
According to Diabetes New Zealand, there are five steps one can take to support a friend with diabetes: listening first, asking questions, educating oneself, going to appointments together and building a healthy lifestyle together.
As reported by the American Diabetes Association, 11.6% of the U.S. population has diabetes — up to 23% of that population is undiagnosed. The rates of diabetes cases have also been rising since the 1980s, specifically in low- and middle-income countries. Many experts hypothesize that increasing rates of diabetes among Americans is the result of increased obesity rates, though the most significant evidence points towards a relationship between diabetes and a family history of the disease in addition to aging.
Contrary to popular belief, diabetes is not the result of eating too much sugar. Walking about 150 minutes per week and maintaining a balanced diet, however, have been proven to prevent type 2 diabetes and improve the quality of life for pre-existing diabetes patients. This is because activity is a known treatment of insulin resistance – the phenomenon when the cells in muscles, fat and liver cannot absorb glucose from blood due to their nonresponse to insulin.
For those with a family history of diabetes, however, these exercises are not a guaranteed prevention strategy. So while the general population should start getting screened for diabetes at the age of 35, those with a genetic predisposition should request testing at an earlier age.
Depending on a patient’s needs and type of diabetes, treatment can include practices such as healthy eating, insulin injection, physical activity, oral medicine, blood glucose monitoring and regular visits with a medical provider. Diverse treatment methods are integral to ensuring the well-being of diabetic individuals because each person experiences the disease differently.
Diabetic individuals also seek care for the symptoms they experience as a result of their diabetes. Some may prioritize mental health care due to the daily toll of the disease and its focus on diet which, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, exposes diabetic individuals to increased rates of anxiety, depression and eating disorders. Increased anxiety and stress also increase heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar, which can be detrimental to a diabetic person’s health. Others may seek care for sexual dysfunctions. According to urology specialists Alan Shindel and Tom Lue, males with diabetes are more likely to struggle with erectile dysfunction, and females with diabetes are more likely to contract vaginal/urinary infections and experience discomfort in sex due to nerve damage or dryness.
Despite the amount of information available, there is still much more to uncover about diabetes and its effects on human wellbeing. Treatment methods are also often expensive as the pharmaceutical industry, according to the Yale School of Medicine, marks the sale price of insulin up to seven to ten times the manufacturing cost.
While scientific progress is still underway and predatory manufacturers continue to take advantage of vulnerable demographics, people can still do their part by educating themselves about diabetes, supporting friends and family with the condition and advocating alongside the diabetic community to spark positive change in our communities. Happy World Diabetes Day!
