Type 2 Diabetes: A Chronic Disease of Old Age - Essay

Introduction

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease associated with old age, and it is a result of the body failing to adequately metabolize sugar (Martino et al., 2019). It results in the buildup of sugar in the bloodstream. Insulin helps to move the glucose from the bloodstream into the cell, helping to balance the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream. The body uses glucose for the production of energy. However, in type 2 diabetes, the body resists the effects of insulin, and when the disease advances, the body does not produce enough insulin to regulate the imbalance. High glucose levels in the body can result in many complications, such as frequent urination and weight loss. The progression of the diseases leads to even severe complications, slow-healing cuts.

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Risk Factors

Being overweight and obese can significantly increase the likelihood of getting the disease because more fatty tissues offer resistance to insulin that is fundamental in the absorption of glucose to the cells. The risk is even higher for those who have more fat in the abdomen than other body parts such as the hips and thighs. Type 2 diabetes mainly affects people of 45 years and on; therefore, when approaching 45 years, it is highly likely for people to get the disease. Even though getting to that age is out of control for any individual, it is best to exercise prevention measures early in life. There is also an increased risk for junk food consumers, which ramp up the level of blood glucose.

Genetically, there is a high likely hood of developing the disease if someone has a parent who has the disease. On the other hand, women are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes when they have polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS) as an underlying condition. The risk similarly increases significantly for people who live a sedentary lifestyle where there is a lack of exercise. The risk is also higher for people living with high blood pressure. Pre-existing gestational diabetes can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes because high glucose levels in the body cause it. Caucasians are at a lesser risk of developing type 2 diabetes than Hispanic-Americans, pacific islanders, and African-Americans.

Estimating The Likely Hood of Getting Type 2 Diabetes

It is highly likely to get the disease later in life owing to the habit of eating junk food. The foods are readily available and ready to eat furthermore they save time hence preferable when in a hurry or very hungry and urgently need something to eat. As seen, eating junk food is a high-risk factor in getting the disease. Exercising is minimal and rare from the high-risk factors lack of exercise can contribute to the development of the disease. Muscle cells use little insulin and are less sensitive, making the blood sugar control minimal. Therefore, the lack of exercise will somewhat make the development of the disease inevitable if the trend of not exercising continues. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the U.S. is high, and as of 2020, one in every three Americans has diabetes, which is more than 34.2 million Americans (Drouin-Chartier et al., 2019). Judging from the rate of prevalence of the disease among older people in the U.S., the estimation of getting the disease is very high. Caucasians are unlikely to get the disease as seen from the risk factors, and not being Caucasian, the likelihood of getting type 2 diabetes is high.

Prevention at The Primary, Tertiary, and Secondary Levels.

Prevention at the primary stage involves procedures initiated to delay the spread of type 2 diabetes. It is done through a variety of approved measures by the patient to lessen the obliquity of several issues amongst them, accumulated weight. Presently, type 2 diabetes cases are often associated with lifestyle choices and a change in one's diet. It is compared to environmental factors and complexity in one's genes in previous times. Many scientifically proven measures are therefore encouraged for a patient. This includes moderating one's diet and adopting a healthy lifestyle. Sustaining a satisfying and healthy body, eating healthy to reduce the chances of an individual gaining a lot of weight in late adulthood, increasing one's physicality, and refraining from desk-bound activities, such as long hours of watching T.V. These amongst others are the bedrock of diabetes prevention.

At the secondary stage, the main factor in the prevention is to lower the impermanence in macrovascular drawbacks that avert individuals with early stages of diabetes from developing into full-blown phase. Secondary prevention involves a variety of practical measures. These include the control of lipid disorders, glycemic control, blood pressure check, a reduction in one's weight, and cessation of particular drug usage, such as aspirin, maintaining good health, among others. Therefore, the levels of triglycerides in the system should be below 150 mg/dL and blood pressure less than 140/90.

Improving the health of patients suffering from this condition

tertiary prevention measures are thereby laid out to avert the complications related to type 2 diabetes. At this stage, one should seek eye screening failure to which affected parties with defective glycemic control conditions might advance to severe vision-threatening scenarios. Patients should frequently exercise, consume foods with low-fat levels, and refrain from high content carbohydrate diets.

Primary Prevention Age

Primary prevention of immedicable and non-communicable ailments, for instance, type 2 diabetes, is arguably more important than the exact timeframe in which prevention measures may commence. Nevertheless, the level and seriousness of intervention depend on the stage at which the disease is discovered. However, interventions can be made as early as possible to allow for seemingly lower and moderate therapeutic programs. Intervention at later stages in some individuals may be associated with developmental pathophysiological conditions that, in the long run, amounted to type 2 diabetes. It is therefore advised to moderate one's lifestyle in terms of habitual preferences and diet choices from as early as childhood. This will eventually positively impact one's chances of contracting many chronic diseases, amongst them, type 2 diabetes.

It may be achieved through an understanding of the alteration and sequence in the history of this disease. In this case, a large number of risk factors that lead to type 2 diabetes may be influenced. Controlled lifestyle choices have, over time, provided evidence that this ailment can be averted by individuals from different societal and cultural settings. Through raising awareness, unhealthy lifestyle patterns can be corrected. Medical approaches and implementation of particular interventions are, however, influenced by a variety of debatable factors. They include high-risk and low-risk factors. Low-risk factors are basically the common constituents that, in the long run, result in this condition. The high-risk approach is typical often applied by stakeholders in the medical sector. Other parties from different sectors, though, may apply this type of approach, for instance, in nutrition, physicality, and the education sector.

References

Drouin-Chartier, J. P., Schwab, A. L., Chen, S., Li, Y., Sacks, F. M., Rosner, B., ... & Bhupathiraju, S. N. (2020). Egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: findings from 3 large U.S. cohort studies of men and women and a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Martino, G., Catalano, A., Bellone, F., Russo, G. T., Vicario, C. M., Lasco, A., ... & Morabito, N. (2019). As time goes by, anxiety negatively affects the perceived quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes of long duration. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 1779.,

G., Catalano, A., Bellone, F., Russo, G. T., Vicario, C. M., Lasco, A., ... & Morabito, N. (2019). As time goes by: anxiety negatively affects the perceived quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes of long duration. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 1779.