Sugar-related Lifestyle Disorders
In the last century, our life expectancy has statistically increased from 40+ years to around actual 80 years. Eliminating birth-related deaths, from around 60 to 80 years.
Better sanitary conditions and antibiotics have significantly reduced infectious diseases and related deaths; after the second world war, advances in the treatment of critical health events have either reduced death rate or converted critical events into chronic conditions (i.e. AIDS).
In addition, “western lifestyle and diet” have induced a metabolic pandemic, also called lifestyle diseases, especially in form of obesity and diabetes (the twin-pandemic diabesity).
Diabesity is scientifically correlated with an excess of sugar intake in modern western society, mainly through consumption of carbonated beverages.
In Suigen Consulting, our expertise in Chronic Disease Management focuses educational and monitoring aspects. Information-based monitoring of vital signals plays a key role, both in prevention and management of chronic clinical diseases or age-related conditions.
1 .SUGAR CONSUMPTION
Historically, human survival has been programmed on sensoring sweet food, starting with lactose in breast milk. Tastes are detected by receptor cells in our mouth – bitter and sour rejected as “bad, harmful, or even potentially poisonous”. “Bad” food literally spit out (do you remember?). Sweet is the security taste of human evolution.
In addition, sweet means energy, mostly quick energy that is critical for survival. Sugar is the main source of energy for all cells of the human body. Sure, cells can also obtain energy from fats and proteins depending on conditions, although this secondary metabolic process is more difficult and less common in cells.
Excess of sugar intake is the real problem. For mankind, excess is a relatively modern issue, starting in the 20th century with industrialization and mass production of a rising Food Industry. Added sugar was, and still is, the driver for consumers acceptance of processed goods and for added consumption. At the end, for excess of consumption.
The so-called Lifestyle disorders are typically chronic diseases, mostly due to a metabolic misfunctioning after years of inappropriate lifestyle habits of an individual. They are noncommunicable diseases of chronic duration, but often reversable or, at least controllable, through fundamental lifestyle changes in nutrition and physical activity.
Excess of sugar intake increases the prevalence of sugar-related lifestyle disorders, especially suffering from obesity which is, for its part, related to the induction of several chronic diseases such as hypertension, insulin resistance, and diabetes in humans. This is basically due to an excessive intake of sugars and low-quality carbohydrates, as well as sedentary lifestyles, causing a deterioration in the organs of our body, and consequently, reducing quality and life expectancy.
2. DIABETES - CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS
According to IDF’s (International Diabetes Federation) diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the pancreas can no longer make insulin, or the body cannot effectively use insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that acts like a key to let glucose from the food we eat pass from the bloodstream into the cells in the body to produce energy. The body breaks down all carbohydrate foods into glucose in the blood, and insulin helps glucose move into the cells. When the body cannot produce or use insulin effectively, this leads to high blood glucose levels, called hyperglycaemia. Over the long-term high glucose levels are associated with micro- and macrovascular damages to the body and failure of various organs and tissues (heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves).
Many people have blood sugar levels above the normal range, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes. This is known as non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, or pre-diabetes. People with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but the
risk can be reduced through lifestyle changes.
Diagnostic delay is estimated in around 10 years, means that time laps between onset and diagnosis is around 10 years: a silent progression that leads to the chronic disease. A person starts to be affected (without clear symptoms) by the disorder years before being diagnosed.
Diabetes is considered the silent pandemic of XXI century; together with obesity, called the twin pandemic “diabesity”. The good news: Losing as little as 5% to 10% of your overall body weight can greatly improve Type 2 diabetes; The first treatment goal for diabesity is to get to and maintain a healthy weight along with eating a low-carb and low-sugar diet.
DIABETES - GLOBAL IMPACT
537 million adults (20-79 years) are living with diabetes – 1 in 10. This number is predicted to rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045. 45% are undiagnosed.
Over 3 in 4 adults with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries.
Diabetes is responsible for 6.7 million deaths in 2021 – 1 every 5 seconds.
Diabetes caused at least USD 966 billion dollars in health expenditure – a 316% increase over the last 15 years. 11.5 % of global health expenditure spent on diabetes
1.2 million children and adolescents below 20 years have type 1 diabetes.
21 million live births (1 in 6) affected by hyperglicaemia in pregnancy, 80% have mothers with GDM (gestational DM)
240 million adults (20-79 years) are undiagnosed (included in total figure of 537 million)
1 in 9 adults (20-79 years) has Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) 541 million adults have Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT), which places them at high risk of type 2 diabetes
1 in 18 adults (20-79 years) has Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) 319 million adults have Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG), which places them at high risk of type 2 diabetes.
DIABETES COMPLICATIONS
Long-term complications of high blood sugar levels are mainly micro- and macrovascular damages: The cells cannot get enough of the sugar they need, and when sugar levels in the blood become too high, it causes damage to nerves and blood vessels, usually in the heart, feet, hands, kidneys and eyes. Other complications of high sugar and insulin resistance include:
Increased risk of heart disease and stroke
1. Neuropathy (nerve damage, especially in extremities)
2. Nephropathy (renal impairment, kidney failure)
3. Retinopathy (vision problems, blindness)
4. Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and increased risk of stroke)
5. Erectile dysfunction in men and decreased sexual desire in both men and women
6. Depression
7. Amputation (Diabetic Foot ulcers)