When is a person first diagnosed with diabetes?

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Medical Video: Connor's Story - Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes

Now diabetes is no longer the disease of old people. WHO reports diabetes caused 1.6 million deaths worldwide in 2015, and nearly half of all deaths occur in productive age.

More and more people are affected by diabetes at a young age because of the widespread spread of a bad lifestyle. So, at what age does a person generally get an official diabetes diagnosis for the first time? It is important to know the average age of diabetes, so you can anticipate various symptoms before it's too late.

At what age does a person get a diagnosis of diabetes for the first time?

The highest number of diabetics is in the age range between 40 and 59 years. Diabetes develops rapidly around the age of 45 to 64 years, and is rapidly increasing again in adults aged 65 and older.

Even so, thanks to the increasingly widespread diet of fat and high sugar and a lifestyle that is all mager aka lazy motion, the average age of diabetes is now shifting increasingly younger. At least 352 million young people are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

WHO noted that the number of diabetes cases globally among ABG children around the age of 18 increased rapidly from 4.7% in the 1980s to 8.5% in 2014. According to the American Diabetes Association, around 5 thousand people under the age of 20 year gets a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes every year.

A 2012 study published in "Diabetes Care" took into account the potential number of future diabetes cases in people under the age of 20. The study found that at present the number of people under the age of 20 with type 2 diabetes will increase by 49 percent by 2050.

If this number continues to grow, the number of cases of type 2 diabetes in young children can increase fourfold. WHO also reports that diabetes will be the seventh largest cause of death in 2030.

How about Indonesia?

The picture of the age shift in diabetes cases in Indonesia with global estimates is not so far off.

Total number of cases of diabetes and prediabetes (source: 2013 Riskesdas, Ministry of Health)
Based on Infodatin 2013 data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the number of Indonesians aged 15 years and over who received an official diagnosis of diabetes reached around 12 million (6.9%).
Meanwhile, people in the same age range who have prediabetes are reported to reach 116 million. Prediabetes itself is a disorder of blood sugar levels characterized by impaired glucose tolerance (TGT) and disturbed fasting blood sugar (GDPT).

Cases of diabetes and prediabetes in Indonesia, based on age (source: 2013 Riskesdas, Ministry of Health)
From the data above it can be concluded that the symptoms of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes have begun to appear in the age of adolescents around the age of 15 years. The Ministry of Health also notes that there are at least 8 million people aged 15 years and over who have diabetes in Indonesia, but have not received an official diagnosis.

Even so, this data does not record type 1 diabetes cases that are usually owned by children from birth because of heredity. Type 1 diabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes because it is influenced by bad lifestyle habits.

Risk factors that affect a person having type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is caused by lifestyle, unhealthy diet, and underlying health problems. Specific factors can increase your risk, but an unhealthy lifestyle is a major problem in many cases.

Factors that can increase type 2 diabetes include:

  • Being overweight or obese
  • Live an unhealthy lifestyle
  • Vascular disease (vascular disorders)
  • Have family members with diabetes (genetic / genetic)
  • Have a history of gestational diabetes
  • High cholesterol
  • Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Diagnosed with prediabetes is another major risk factor. Prediabetes is an early warning of diabetes. Prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels start to exceed normal limits, but it is not too high to be formalized as diabetes. That is, you have experienced the initial symptoms of diabetes, but have not been diagnosed officially and do not / do not need a doctor's medication.

Having prediabetes does not mean that you are certain to have type 2 diabetes. However, if you have high blood sugar, there is a possibility for you to develop type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes can be delayed!

Although diabetes is one of the most common diseases in the world, this disease can be delayed even completely prevented. The best ways include:

  • Regular exercise
  • Applying a low-calorie and low-fat diet
  • Reducing the intake of processed foods and empty calories

A study published in the New England journal found that reducing only 5-7 percent of body weight could slow the progression of type 2 diabetes. Some people at risk can also delay the onset of diabetes by taking diabetes medications.

It is important to discuss all your treatment options with your doctor for the best results. Getting a diagnosis of diabetes as soon as possible can also help prevent related complications and improve your quality of life despite diabetes.

When is a person first diagnosed with diabetes?
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