Diabetes: 7 Reasons Most Nigerian Men Are Susceptible To The Silent Killer

[drwale]

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disorder of elevated blood glucose characterized by disorders of carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism due to an absolute and/or relative deficiency of insulin, a hormone which is normally produced in the pancreas. The major types are type 1, type 2 and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.
Type I Diabetes Mellitus is commoner in young people and results from disorders that impair the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin.
Type II Diabetes accounts for about 90% of cases. It is commoner in adult, obese patients and is mostly due to insulin resistance.
Gestational Diabetes is first diagnosed in pregnancy and usually resolves after delivery. However, affected women stand a higher chance of developing Type II Diabetes later on.

Although previously thought to be a disease of developed countries, diabetes mellitus has now become prevalent in Africa and particularly Nigeria, no thanks to unhealthy changes in habits and lifestyle. To corroborate this, recent reports by the International Diabetes Federation revealed that Nigeria has the highest prevalence of diabetes mellitus among African countries. Furthermore, an estimated six million people live with diabetes mellitus in Nigeria.
Discussed below are some of the important reasons why most Nigerians are susceptible to diabetes:

Unguarded Drinking Habits
Studies have shown that moderate consumption of alcohol offers some protection against diabetes and cardiovascular problems. However, excessive intake can lead to chronic inflammation of the pancreas (chronic pancreatitis) which interferes with insulin production by this organ and predisposes to diabetes mellitus. In addition, alcohol increases your risk of becoming overweight or obese, thereby predisposing you to insulin resistance and Type II Diabetes.

Smoking
Tobacco smoking is injurious to every body organ and the pancreas is no exception. Research has shown that smokers have a 30-40% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to nonsmokers. Furthermore, smoking is a potent risk factor for cancer of the pancreas and this condition adversely affects insulin production and secretion by the pancreas. More still, smoking increases the incidence of insulin resistance and consequently Type II Diabetes.

Excessive Consumption of Junk Fatty Foods
Due to the influence of civilization, the interest of most people has now shifted from fresh foods to fast foods. Instead of eating fresh fruits, most people now opt for processed fruit juices and sugary carbonated drinks. Junk fatty foods raise the level of 'bad' cholesterol (that is Low-Density Lipoproteins and triglycerides) in your blood and this sets you up for obesity and Type II Diabetes. For your own benefit, include more of green vegetables, fruits, nuts and cereals in your diet.


High Blood Pressure
Research has shown that about 57 million Nigerians are hypertensive while many more remain undiagnosed. Evidently, hypertensive patients have a 200-300% higher risk of developing diabetes than patients who are normotensive. Hence, if you have high blood pressure, it's advisable to commence treatment before diabetes mellitus sets in.

Poor Health-seeking Behaviour
An average Nigerian is guilty of a poor health-seeking behaviour and would rather indulge in self-medications than visit a hospital for regular medical check-up. Understandably, this behaviour could also contribute to the increasing incidence and prevalence of diabetes in Nigeria. During a routine medical check-up, you can easily have your blood glucose tested within a few minutes and if prediabetes (or impaired glucose tolerance) is detected at this stage, you will be readily counselled on how to reduce your chances of developing full-blown diabetes.

Sedentary Lifestyle
Lack of exercise is another rampant problem that predisposes people to diabetes. Experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise for 5 days in a week. However, the nature of jobs a lot of people do is such that they sit all day. Furthermore, rather than trek, many people are now mobile and prefer to drive all the way. While some of these are welcome developments, they contribute to the incidence of obesity and by extension, diabetes in our society.

Strong Family History
A strong genetic or hereditary component has been implicated in the pathophysiology of diabetes such that certain genetic abnormalities can be inherited from close relatives leading to increased risk of diabetes in future. If a first-degree relative such as the father, mother or any sibling has diabetes, then you have a higher risk of developing diabetes in future.

 

[Vunderkind]

Fascinating piece. I just have one question though. I noticed you didn't particularly mention sugar consumption as one of the factors. Doesn't excess sugar consumption cause diabetes?

Cc [USERGROUP=4]@Senior Curators[/USERGROUP]

 

[drwale]

Fascinating piece. I just have one question though. I noticed you didn't particularly mention sugar consumption as one of the factors. Doesn't excess sugar consumption cause diabetes?

Cc [USERGROUP=4][USERGROUP=4][USERGROUP=4]@Senior Curators[/USERGROUP][/USERGROUP][/USERGROUP]

Thanks...excessive consumption of raw sugar or sugary drinks over a long period can overwork the pancreas as it tries to produce more insulin to handle the excess glucose. By the time insulin can no longer drive in all the glucose, the rest is converted to fats leading to obesity and increased risk of Type II Diabetes. This is even more likely in the presence of other risk factors such as advanced age, obesity and a strong family history.

 

[LequteMan]

So, one can consume sugary drinks over a long period, as long as one works out a good number of times?

 

[drwale]

So, one can consume sugary drinks over a long period, as long as one works out a good number of times?

No, that's not advisable since excess consumption lays a greater demand on the pancreas and can wear it out predisposing to diabetes