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Diabetes is one of the chronic diseases affecting the world in a severe manner. According to the latest International Diabetes Federation (IDF), which estimates that about 1 in 19 adults (ages 20-79), or around 589 million people, were living with diabetes in 2022, and more than 4 in 10 did not know they had it. It affects people at every stage of life; similarly, it becomes complicated when the blood sugar level stays high, which poses a greater risk to the heart, kidneys, and nerves.
The positive aspect: diabetes is easily treatable, and for people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, the risk of progression can be significantly minimized. By adopting a healthy lifestyle, programs modeled based on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) have shown a 58% decline in type 2 diabetes risk (71% for adults aged 60+) among prediabetic individuals.
This article is formulated by Vesta Care experts to be explicit, unambiguous, and genuinely beneficial, which provides an easy-to-follow mini health encyclopedia. In this guide, you will learn about what diabetes is, its types, symptoms, prevention, and routine-based healthy lifestyle. Resultantly, you can make confident choices for yourself and people around you.
In simple words, diabetes is a chronic disorder in which the level of glucose (sugar) remains higher in blood than normal. Due to which body:
Furthermore, insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that acts like a key that allows glucose from food to enter the cells for energy. If the body produces too little insulin or it does not work properly, glucose stays in the blood, which leads to health problems over time.
Glucose is crucial for surviving. Our body breaks down the food we eat, such as the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose. This glucose enters into the bloodstream from where insulin delivers it into the cells for energy production through the process of respiration.
With diabetes, this process is not proper, due to which glucose stays in the bloodstream and damages blood vessels, increasing the risk of various heart disease, kidney problems, eye vision problems, etc.
In the majority of cases, diabetes is a chronic condition. However, it can vary depending upon its types and how effectively it is managed.
Contemporary scientific research highlights the fact that eating sugar is not the only cause behind diabetes. The term is also influenced by genetics, lifestyle, body weight, hormonal imbalance, inflammation, and metabolic health. Moreover, insulin resistance is often caused by body fat, a key factor in progression to type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder influenced by:
genetics-insulin resistance-obesity-secondary lifestyle-metabolic and hormonal factors
Sugar intake alone does not directly cause diabetes, though excessive calorie intake can contribute to obesity and insulin resistance.
Global health analysis emphasizes that increasing diabetes cases are related to aging, population growth, passive lifestyles, eating processed food, obesity, and urban growth.
In order to understand diabetes, it is necessary to know the normal function of sugar inside a healthy body.
There are basically two hormones that play a major role in maintaining blood sugar level. These hormones are produced by the pancreas.
Firstly, insulin is released immediately after eating (blood sugar rises). Insulin helps glucose enter into the body cell to be used for energy or stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. Thus, it helps to regulate normal blood sugar levels.
Secondly, the pancreas releases glucagon when blood sugar falls. Glucagon signals the liver to release stored glucose into the blood. Thus, blood sugar levels are maintained within a healthy range.
In diabetes, this process is disrupted
It occurs in three ways:
In this type of diabetes, the body is unable to produce insulin released by the pancreas.
In this condition, the body cannot use insulin effectively, leading to high blood sugar.
It is a situation when the body first resists insulin, which ultimately results in the release of high insulin production by the pancreas. The pancreas becomes overworked and loses the ability to release insulin. Consequently, glucose cannot enter into the cell properly, stays in the bloodstream, and raises the blood sugar level. In that scenario, the cell starved for energy despite the blood having a sugar level.
Diabetes is often misunderstood as a disease caused by eating a lot of sugar. Nonetheless, it is a complicated metabolic condition deeply ingrained in genetics, hormones, immune function, and processes related to insulin. Specifically, its causes greatly depend on the type of diabetes, but the core problem remains the same: the body either lacks insulin, it is not sufficient, or it cannot work effectively, which results in high blood sugar. Early screening is very important for preventing complications because diabetes often develops without any symptoms. Vesta Care makes it easy and accessible to find out if you have diabetes early by offering reliable and convenient tests at home in Dubai.
Type 1 diabetes is a cause in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, called beta cells. After these insulin-producing cells have been killed, the body slowly loses its power to produce insulin. This results in no insulin production; that’s why people with type 1 diabetes take insulin daily to survive.
Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes across the world. This cause is linked with insulin resistance.
The following are causes that triggers type 2 diabetes:
Contrary to Type 1, Type 2 diabetes is preventable by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
This type of diabetes happens in pregnancy, most probably during the second or third trimester.
During gestation, the placenta produces a hormone that helps the fetus to grow. At the same time, these hormones can make a mother's body insulin resistant. It is a natural process during pregnancy; in certain females, the pancreas cannot produce additional insulin to counterbalance the blood sugar level. As a consequence, it increases the risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Moreover, it contributes to the mother's likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. Although gestational diabetes often improves after delivery.
Genetic factors significantly contribute to diabetes. It affects insulin sensitivity and the function of the pancreas.
Being overweight is another contributing factor to diabetes. At the same time, it also depends on the location of fats present in the body. Fat around the abdomen is highly linked to diabetes because it affects inflammation and hormone balance.
Physical activity is crucial for glucose to be used as fuel. When the body does not move, insulin does not work effectively.
Diets high in sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates (white bread, pastries), fast food, fried food, and processed snacks are associated with weight gain and insulin resistance and unstable blood sugar levels. Fiber-rich foods such as vegetables and legumes slow glucose absorption and help to prevent a sharp increase in blood sugar level.
Recent scientific research emphasizes that stress hormones like cortisol and poor sleep badly affect blood sugar. High stress and lack of sleep can raise blood sugar directly and increase craving for unhealthy food, causing the risk of more weight gain.
Women with gestational diabetes have a much higher risk of forming type 2 diabetes after delivery. If lifestyle remains the same.
Diabetes is highly linked with aging. As a person grows older, physical activity often decreases, which ultimately results in insulin resistance. That is the reason people after age 40 have more risks of diabetes. However, nowadays it is also common in younger adults too.
Additional risk factors include:
These factors can aggravate insulin resistance and metabolic function.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO):
In this type, diabetes develops because the pancreas is injured or damaged, so it cannot produce enough insulin. This leads to high blood sugar levels.
The pancreas has two primary functions:
In type 3c diabetes, both roles may be disrupted; as a result, individuals develop hyperglycemia and digestive difficulties. Its major causes include persistent pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, pancreatic malignancy, and severe pancreatic damage or injury.
Type 3c diabetes is frequently related to type 2 diabetes, particularly in adults. However, both are different in terms of treatment because type 3c requires both insulin production and digestive enzyme replacement.
Early diagnosis can improve glucose control and nutritional levels.
LADA abbreviated for Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults. It is also characterized as a hybrid form because it couples the features of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It is basically caused by an autoimmune attack on insulin-producing cells, as in the case of Type 1, but it occurs gradually. Most people with LADA are diagnosed initially as having type 2 diabetes.
Distinctive features of LADA:
If LADA is treated like type 2 diabetes for the long term, blood sugar level will remain unstable because the problem lies within the insulin deficiency, not just insulin resistance. Therefore, early identifications can help doctors to select effective treatment strategies and protect the remaining beta cells.
MODY is a genetic form of diabetes in which a mutation occurs in a single gene. Additionally, it is not linked to weight gain or insulin resistance. MODY is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, meaning that if one parent carries the gene mutation, there is a significant chance it will be passed to their children’
MODY is often misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes, leading to unnecessary insulin use. Certain MODY subtypes respond better to specific oral medications (sulfonylureas), while others may require minimal interventions.
Genetic testing is usually necessary to confirm a MODY diagnosis
Neonatal diabetes is more frequently found in babies within their early six months of life. It differs from type 1 diabetes, which typically develops later in childhood. It is most commonly caused by genetic mutations that affect the production of insulin. As a result, the pancreas is unable to produce sufficient insulin at birth or soon afterward.
Neonatal diabetes is divided into two main types:
Diagnosis and treatment are necessary to prevent infants from severe fluid depletion and metabolic disturbances.
Common symptoms of diabetes are widely recognized by global health organizations. Initially, the symptoms begin after the blood glucose level becomes high and affects some parts of the body.
As far as symptoms are concerned, they are mostly similar. However, here it is presented differently.
Several warning signs appear with lifestyle problems and aging.
The indication of diabetes is feeling lethargy and dizziness soon after eating, particularly after having a high-carbohydrate meal, which is directly linked to the rise and fall of blood sugar level.
This kind of symptom is most common in insulin-resistant diabetes, which ultimately increases strong cravings for sweets.
UTIs is the most common sign indicating an elevated blood sugar level.
Dark patches appear on skin, often around the neck, armpits, groin, or knuckles. It is a visible sign of insulin resistance. This condition is commonly linked with type 2 diabetes risk factor and prediabetes.
This most common symptom is often linked with insulin resistance. Abdominal fat increases with fatigue and sugar cravings, manifesting a metabolic imbalance.
Abnormal blood sugar affects the brain. People may often experience irritability, mood swings, difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, and mental fog.
To understand diabetes, it is important to know the blood sugar ranges. These ranges are used by professional doctors to diagnose normal glucose levels, prediabetes, and diabetes. These numbers come from medical studies that show that once the glucose exceeds normal limits, it increases the risk of chronic complications.
Multiple diagnoses are necessary for a person with diabetes. Doctors often suggest repeating the testing procedure on different days to verify the diagnosis, particularly when symptoms are not clear, results are borderline, and the person has no medical issue. On the other hand, if a person has very high glucose levels along with classic symptoms (such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, and unexplained weight loss), then there is no need to repeat the diagnosis procedure.
Prediabetes serves as an early warning signal that indicates that your blood glucose level is higher than normal, although it has not yet reached the diabetes range. Monitoring these numbers is vital because:
Prediabetes readings are crucial because they give a chance to prevent serious health problems before they start.
Hypoglycemia is not a disease, but a condition or complication that occurs when blood glucose levels fall below normal (usually <70 mg/dL), commonly due to insulin or certain diabetes medications.
Hypoglycemia can occur with:
insulin therapy /sulfonylurea medications /prolonged fasting /intense physical activity /alcohol consumption without food, take medicine that boost insulin secretion, perform vigorous physical activity and drink alcohol on an empty stomach
A low blood sugar level affects the nervous system quickly. Its initial symptoms include:
If the blood sugar continuously dropping, symptoms may become more severe
Patients of hypoglycemia are recommended to consume a fast-acting sugar source.
Then a snack containing protein and carbs are prescribed to normalize blood sugar level.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a severe and complicated life-threatening condition, mostly seen in type 1 diabetes, but it can also happen in type 2. In this case, the body does not have insulin, so it starts breaking down fat rapidly in order to meet the energy needs of the body. Consequently, when fat is burned, the body produces ketones, which are acidic. A high ketone level makes the blood acidic, which affects vital organs of the body.
Its early symptoms include the following:
In severe cases it may lead to coma, organ failure, and even death if not treated.
A DKA patient needs urgent hospital care, IV fluids, insulin treatment, and electrolyte correction.
This condition is medically known as Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State (HHS), a severe complication usually seen in type 2 diabetes, characterized by:
extremely high blood glucose (>600 mg/dL) /severe dehydration /altered mental status unlike diabetic ketoacidosis, it usually does not involve significant ketone accumulation, but it leads to severe dehydration.
As dehydration increases, brain function becomes impaired, resulting in confusion, drowsiness, weakness, visual problems, seizures, or loss of consciousness. HHS occurs more often in older adults with type 2 diabetes, particularly during infections, serious illness, or missed medications. It may develop slowly over several days, allowing symptoms to go unnoticed until serious complications occur. I require urgent hospital management with intravenous fluids, insulin, and electrolyte monitoring. Prevention depends on regular blood glucose monitoring, sufficient fluid intake specifically during illness, and seeking medical care promptly when glucose levels remain excessively high.
As time passes, diabetes does not only affect blood glucose levels; it also affects the whole body. Slowly and gradually, it affects blood vessels and nerves, which ultimately show its adverse impacts on other organs of the body.
The more unstable the blood sugar level becomes, the higher the risk of further complications. Contrary to that, a controlled blood sugar level decreases the risk of damage.
Detailed explanation on how diabetes affects different organs of the body.
Individuals with diabetes have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease as compared to non-diabetic people. High blood pressure damages the inner lining of blood vessels and causes inflammation. Over time, this increases fatty deposits, which cause atherosclerosis, narrowing arteries and reducing the blood flow. Cardiovascular disease is one of the major factors of illness and death among the people.
People with diabetes are more susceptible to:
The kidney is the vital organ that eliminates toxins and excess water from the body through tiny structures called glomeruli. A high blood sugar level impairs these tiny filtering units over time. If untreated, it can lead to kidney failure.
At an early stage, it may show no noticeable signs; as it develops further, it may lead to
The eye is the most sensitive organ of the body. It contains tiny blood vessels, which are extremely sensitive to high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes complications may lead to:
Diabetic neuropathy occurs due to chronic hyperglycemia causing damage to nerves and the small blood vessels that supply them, leading to impaired nerve function. This is described as diabetic neuropathy. At an early stage, it only affects legs and feet; however, in severe cases, it also affects the autonomic nerves, such as digestion, heartbeat, and bladder control.
Symptoms may consist of:
Diabetes causes foot complications, which are the most severe consequences of diabetes. If untreated, it may lead to hospitalization and amputation.
There are two major problems that arise:
Major symptoms include:
A high blood sugar level weakens the immune system and reduces blood circulation, making the skin more vulnerable to damage and infection. Diabetes increases the risk of gum disease (periodontitis). Persistent high glucose levels also provide a favorable environment for bacteria and fungi to grow.
Symptoms include:
Blood sugar monitoring means regularly checking the level of glucose in the blood to ensure that it stays within a healthy range. It helps people with diabetes know whether their treatment, diet, and lifestyle are controlling their blood sugar effectively.
Regular monitoring helps:
In this method, blood glucose level is monitored by the use of a glucometer, in which a small drop of blood is obtained from the fingertip. Although it is a very simple method, it is more reliable and highly useful. It allows individuals to:
For any person with Type 2 diabetes who does not use insulin, testing may be required less frequently. However, those who use insulin usually need more regular monitoring.
This method represents one of the most significant advances in diabetes management over the past decades. It uses a small wearable sensor that measures glucose level in the interstitial fluid at frequent intervals. It provides real-time information throughout the day and night.
CGM allows a person to:
Medication becomes crucial when blood sugar level is not maintained by lifestyle alone.
Different medications require different mechanisms, such as
Metformin is one of the widely prescribed first-line drugs for type 2 diabetes.
Its function include:
This kind of therapy is commonly used for both diabetes and obesity treatment. It also protects against heart-related disorders in high-risk individuals.
These drugs stimulate natural hormones that:
This kind of medication is used in order to enable the kidneys to eliminate excess glucose through urination. Apart from this, it also helps in lowering blood sugar.
Insulin therapy becomes inevitable in case of type 1 diabetes and also in terms of type 2 diabetes when insulin is highly insufficient. Insulin is neither a last resort nor a sign of personal failure. It only replaces what the body is unable to produce sufficiently.
Insulin is recommended when:
Insulin cannot be taken orally because it is broken down in the digestive tract.
Insulin is administered subcutaneously via:
insulin syringes /insulin pens/insulin pumps
A most significant innovation is the automated insulin delivery system, frequently called a hybrid closed-loop system. These integrate CGM data with pump technology to automatically adjust insulin, helping in reducing both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.
Modern dietary guidance from Vesta Care for diabetes management focuses on portion control, high-fiber foods, limited carbohydrate intake, sugary drinks, processed foods, consistent meal timings, and sustainable eating habits.
It aims to emphasize a sustainable diet, not a temporary one.
Regular exercise improves muscle glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity. It lowers the risk of cardiovascular disorder and lowers blood glucose levels. Daily exercise enhances mood, and 20-30 minutes of walking controls blood glucose levels.
Stress management and proper sleep is important for blood sugar levels. Conversely, poor sleep and chronic stress worsen insulin resistance and glucose levels.
Effective diabetes management requires regular monitoring, proper diet, physical activity, stress and sleep optimization, and healthy daily habits.
At Vesta Care, we believe that the best way to manage diabetes is to find it early, keep an eye on it regularly, and make lifestyle changes that will last. Screening and care that are done on time can greatly lower the risks to your health in the long term.
