Questions and answers on diabetes

 

WILL EATING AND DRINKING TOO MUCH SUGARY STUFF CAUSE DIABETES?

Consuming too much of anything, including sugary food and drink, will likely lead to obesity, a major cause for insulin resistance. Excessive consumption of sugar puts the pancreas under tremendous stress to produce enough insulin to match the spikes in blood sugar levels. Over time, this may increase the risk of insulin resistance and thus.

TO REVERSE TYPE 2 DIABETES. IS THIS POSSIBLE?

There is currently no cure for Type 2 diabetes. However, there is enough evidence to suggest that bariatric surgery in obese patients causes diabetes to enter a remission phase. Although there is no cure for diabetes at this point in time, adhering to a healthy lifestyle coupled with regular check-ups and medication compliance can keep diabetes under good control and prevent complications.

DIABETES IS KNOWN AS ‘SUGAR URINE DISEASE’ IN CHINESE. DOES DIABETES REALLY RESULT IN SUGAR IN THE URINE?

In healthy people, the kidney is able to absorb all of the sugar that it filters from the blood. In patients with previously undiagnosed or poorly-controlled diabetes, the high sugar load in the filtered blood means the kidney is not able to absorb all of the sugar. As a result, large amounts of sugar are passed out in the urine. Sugar in the urine increases the risk of fungal infection of the external genitalia (e.g. thrush) and urinary tract infections. It also leads to the passing of large amounts of urine and consequently, dehydration.

WHY ARE SOME DIABETIC CASES TREATED BY GP’S AND POLYCLINICS, WHILE OTHERS ARE TREATED BY SPECIALISTS AT HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT CLINICS?

In most cases, the condition can be managed by primary care doctors, but patients with complications from advanced diabetes or pregnant women with diabetes will require diabetes specialists to provide guidance. The right-siting of care is important, including for diabetes patients. As part of JurongHealth’s diabetes integrated care pathway, the team is working on a new initiative to identify a primary care doctor for each and every one of our patients in our diabetes clinic. We believe that a primary care doctor can provide supportive, holistic and affordable care to our patients with this chronic disease. We believe in shared care between the specialist and the primary care doctor for patients with complex medical needs.

Contributed By: Health Promotion Board (HPB)
Your Diabetes Questions Answered by Health Promotion Board, 6 Oct 2020, www.healthhub.sg.