Everything you need to know about diabetes
09 September 2024 | Comment(s) |
Adrien Jacquérioz
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that results in a high concentration of sugar in the blood, a phenomenon known as hyperglycaemia. In Switzerland, an estimated half a million people are affected by some form of diabetes. In this article, we look at the different aspects of this disease: its potential causes, treatments and prevention.
What is diabetes?
Glucose, the fuel for our body's cells, is extracted from food in our intestines and then enters the bloodstream. Distributed throughout the body, it can then be absorbed by our cells with the help of insulin, produced by the pancreas and which regulates glucose levels in the body. Diabetes is a disease that reduces or prevents the body's natural glucose conversion process. In people with this condition, the pancreas's production of insulin is disrupted, leaving them with excessively high levels of sugar in their blood – in other words, hyperglycaemia.
The different types of diabetes
There are two different types of diabetes, which generally develop at different times in the life cycle, and a third subtype which affects pregnant women:
- Type 1 diabetes generally appears during childhood or adolescence and currently has no cure. In people with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer produces insulin.
- Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, is a condition that develops insidiously over the years. In people suffering from this type of diabetes, the pancreas still produces insulin, but in insufficient quantities, or the body is no longer able to use it effectively to convert sugar into energy. Being overweight, having a sedentary lifestyle, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption all greatly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Similar to type 2 diabetes, there is also so-called "gestational" diabetes, which is curable. Hormonal changes during pregnancy cause a progressive and increased resistance to insulin, which raises blood sugar levels. It often disappears after childbirth.
Figures: in Switzerland, around 500,000 people of all ages have diabetes. Of these, 40,000 suffer from type 1 diabetes.
I sintomi del diabete
Diabetes is a disease that manifests itself through:
- Excessive physical fatigue
- Intense thirst and frequent urination
- Difficulty concentrating and reduced performance
- Visual problems
- Weight loss
Causes and risk factors for diabetes
Are there any potential triggers for diabetes? And what are the risk factors for the disease? For type 1 diabetes, the potential causes may be linked to a genetic background. For type 2 diabetes, the main factors are:
- heredity
- age
- lifestyle and diet (particularly lack of physical activity and excess sugar and fat)
- smoking
- excessive alcohol consumption
- hypertension and high cholesterol
Environmental factors may also play a part in some rarer forms of the disease. In the case of gestational diabetes, age, excess weight and genetics may play an important role. There is also an additional risk of developing this type of diabetes if it has already appeared during a previous pregnancy. It should be noted that diabetes can itself be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Treatments: how is diabetes treated?
With the right treatment and a few lifestyle changes, people with diabetes can aim for remission of the disease and enjoy a satisfying quality of life.
For type 1 diabetes, treatment is based on an external insulin supply, either in the form of injections with a syringe or pen, or using an insulin pump.
Type 2 diabetes is initially treated with dietary hygiene (by practising sports adapted to diabetes via DIAfit courses, for example, and by introducing dietary changes), followed by oral and/or injectable anti-diabetic drugs. Insulin injections can then be added to the treatment if the deficiency is too great.
For gestational diabetes, appropriate nutritional measures are generally sufficient to contain the majority of cases.
How can diabetes be prevented?
While type 1 diabetes can unfortunately not be prevented, type 2 diabetes can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Here's some advice:
- focus on a varied and balanced diet
- regular physical activity
- occasional medical check-ups
- stopping smoking
- stopping excessive alcohol consumption
Interview : living with diabetes
Diabetes and health insurance: Groupe Mutuel's commitments
The rising incidence of new cases of diabetes is a crucial factor in the problem of rising healthcare costs. As a proponent of the patient-centred “Value-based Healthcare” system, Groupe Mutuel aims to improve healthcare services and management by focusing on quality rather than quantity. All this while optimising healthcare resources and the associated costs for insured persons.
Diabetes is an issue that is very important to us, so we are taking concrete steps to help our insured persons manage their condition. A number of joint projects and programmes with partners are currently underway.
In addition, the 300,000 or so people who have chosen the PrimaFlex alternative model for their basic insurance benefit from free diabetes screening tests in partner pharmacies when the pharmacist considers it necessary. For persons who have chosen the OptiMed alternative model, certain healthcare networks also offer specific programmes for people with diabetes.
