What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterized by high levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which leads over time to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
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There are two types of Diabetes:
Type 1
Type 1 diabetes presents early in life. It is where the pancreas does not produce any insulin. Patients are dependent on insulin.
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Type 2
Type 2 diabetes is largely diet related. The body does not use insulin properly.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. It helps the body use sugar as it needs and then stores the rest. If there is not enough insulin or the insulin is not used by the body properly, there will be large amounts circulating in the blood.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Self-diagnosis and self-medication are not recommended; seek medical attention if you have any of these symptoms:
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Thirst
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Urinate often. Urinate often at nights
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Tired easily
Diagnosis and Treatment
Early diagnosis can be accomplished through realtively inexpensive testing of blood sugar.
Treatment involves diet and physical activity along with lowering blood glucose levels.
If glucose levels are not controlled, you may need to use or increase your medication.
What is High Blood Pressure/Hypertension?
High blood pressure - also known as raised blood pressure or hypertension - increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can also cause blindness, irregularities of the heartbeat and heart failure. It is also associated with your risk of developing dementia and erectile dysfunction.
The risk of developing these complications is higher in the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes. One in three adults worldwide has high blood pressure. The proportion increases with age, from 1 in 10 people in their 20s and 30s to 5 in 10 people in their 50s.
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The Prevalence of Blood Pressure Control in the Caribbean can be as high as 27% in some countries.
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