Uncontrolled Blood Sugar Worsens Chronic Illnesses: Health Experts Warn

Diabetes Complications and Chronic Illnesses: Health experts warn that if diabetes is not properly addressed, it can lead to complications and worsen chronic illnesses, affecting the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

Global Diabetes Burden: Approximately 400 million people worldwide have diabetes, with over 100 million in India alone, making it a major health concern.

Diabetes and Tuberculosis (TB) Link: Individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) and inadequate blood glucose control are at three times the risk of developing TB. TB-DM co-morbidity is now more common than TB-HIV co-infection.

Impact on Pulmonary TB: Immune compromise due to diabetes can facilitate hematogenous dissemination of Mtb, leading to extrapulmonary TB. Diabetes can also influence treatment outcomes and increase the risk of treatment failure.

Diabetes Prevalence and Global Target: Type 2 diabetes prevalence has reached pandemic levels worldwide. Halting the rise in diabetes and obesity by 2025 is a global target.

Uncontrolled Diabetes Exacerbates Chronic Illnesses: Uncontrolled diabetes affects multiple body systems, including kidneys, heart, eyes, nerves, and circulation. Factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking worsen the overall burden of chronic diseases.

Impact on Immune System: Chronic and uncontrolled diabetes suppresses the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to infections like tuberculosis, as well as fungal, viral, and bacterial infections.

Increased Risk of Heart Disease: People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing heart disease due to factors like obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and insulin resistance.

Optimal Glucose Management: To minimize the impact of diabetes on chronic illnesses, maintaining optimal glucose levels is crucial. This involves adhering to specific targets and managing long-term diabetes control with HbA1c levels below 7 per cent.