Description
Early intervention in Type 2 diabetes focuses on lifestyle changes, such as improved diet and regular physical activity, to prevent or delay the onset of the disease. Timely management, including monitoring blood sugar levels and addressing risk factors, can significantly reduce complications and improve long-term health outcomes.
Summary Listen
- Type 2 diabetes risk factors include advancing age, certain ethnicities (Asian Indians, Hispanics, Latinos), male sex (due to abdominal fat deposition and insulin resistance), hypertension, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, overweight/obesity, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, family history, and gestational diabetes. For Asians, a BMI below 23 is considered normal, 23-30 overweight, and above 30 obese.
- Early-stage symptoms of type 2 diabetes are extreme fatigue, frequent urination (polyuria), excessive thirst (polydipsia), increased hunger (polyphagia), visual disturbances, weight loss, headaches, and general malaise. Pre-diabetes criteria include fasting blood glucose between 100-125 mg/dL and post-meal glucose between 140-199 mg/dL.
- Inhaled insulin (Afrezza) is ultra-fast acting and leaves the blood system within 90 minutes, minimizing risks of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. However, it's unsuitable for current smokers, asthma patients, or those with COPD. Continuous glucose monitoring is essential for inhaled insulin users.
- Bariatric surgery is considered a last-resort intervention due to effective GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro). These drugs enable significant weight loss and have cardio-metabolic benefits.
- Early intervention in type 2 diabetes prevents macro and microvascular complications like heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and poor wound healing. Early intervention with lifestyle modifications and medications can delay or even prevent the need for insulin therapy by preserving beta cell function.
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About the Speakers
Dr. Leena Mahana Kapoor
Specialist Internal Medicine and Diabetologist, Aster DM Healthcare, Dubai
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