The 14^th November is World Diabetes Day, a day that the world comes together to recognise the escalating threat that diabetes poses. This year’s theme is ‘The Family and Diabetes – Diabetes Concerns Every Family.’ This theme will cover a two-year (2018 ad 2019) period.

The aim of the 2018–19 campaign is to raise awareness of the impact diabetes has on the family and to promote the role family members can play in the management, care, prevention and education of diabetes.

The International Diabetes Federation and WHO’s key messages fall under four main areas (discover, prevent and manage) and they provide practical tips and advice for families.

Discover Diabetes

Statistics presented by the International Diabetes of Federation suggest that 50% of people with type 2 diabetes remain undiagnosed. Diagnosing diabetes early is very important in helping to prevent or delay the life-threatening complications that are associated with this condition. It is therefore very important that we are all aware of the symptoms, particularly if we have a family history of diabetes.

For World Diabetes Day, organisers are reminding family members of the key role they can play in identifying symptoms in their family members and thus helping detect diabetes early.

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be hard to identify because initially they don’t make you feel unwell and the symptoms may start to feel like normal every day behaviour. Take some time to reflect on whether these symptoms are normal for you, or your family member, or if they could be a sign of type 2 diabetes.

• Urinating more often
• Feeling thirsty
• Feeling very hungry
• Weight loss
• Blurred vision

Prevent Diabetes

There is a huge opportunity to prevent diabetes as the International Diabetes Federation has reported that 80% of diabetes cases can be prevented by the public adopting a healthy lifestyle.  This means that preventing diabetes starts at home. Simply by making a decision for your family to eat a healthy diet and exercise together means that your family members can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The aim is for each of us is to create and live in an environment that supports a healthy lifestyle.

Manage Diabetes

Diabetes has a significant impact on families and family members often feel helpless when it comes to caring for those close to them who have diabetes. Research has show that 2 in 3 people wouldn’t know how to care for a family member with diabetes. This is likely to be due to a lack or awareness  and access to relevant educational material. Research has shown that less than 1 in 2 people with diabetes and 1 in 4 family members of people with diabetes have access to diabetes education programmes.

If you’re a family member of a diabetic, it’s important to know that managing diabetes requires daily treatment, regular monitoring, a healthy lifestyle and ongoing education. Family support is key in achieving this. If you feel ill-equipped to support your family members, speak to your doctor and explore whether there are any diabetes self-management courses being held in your area.

Diabetes in St Kitts

Diabetes is a significant health challenge in St Kitts accounting for one of the most common reasons for patients visiting the Joseph N France Hospital for treatment.

In St Kitts and Nevis, approximately 1300 people are living with diabetes, therefore impacting 1300 families, with 71% being women. It is thus important for residents of St Kitts and Nevis to be aware of how they can prevent, manage and discover diabetes so they can better support their family members with diabetes, as well as reduce the risk of unaffected members developing this condition.

For more information you can listen to Hon Wendy Phipps’ s (Minister of State for responsibility for Health in St Kitts), statement in observance of world Diabetes Day 2018 on Sound Cloud here:

Conclusion

Family members can make a significant difference in the prevention, early diagnosis and management of diabetes. It’s important to learn more about this condition and if you need help in St Kitts you can contact the St Kitts Diabetes Association.

 

Every year, on 14^th November, the world comes together to recognise World Diabetes Day.  Created by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organisation in 1991 to address the escalating threat that diabetes poses, this is a day that aims to raise awareness by reaching a global audience. This year’s theme is: ‘Women and Diabetes – Our Right to a Healthy Future.’  ‘Why the focus on women?’  You may ask. The stats say it all.

Women and Diabetes

Currently there are over 199 million women living with diabetes throughout the world and research suggests that this could rise to a staggering 313 million women by 2040. Diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women with 2.1 million deaths per year being due to this condition.  Forty per cent of women with diabetes, around 60 million women, are of reproductive age. The complication here is that women with diabetes are more likely to have fertility problems and without access to pre-conception planning there is a higher risk of death and illness for both mother and child during pregnancy.

Additionally, one in seven pregnant women develop gestational diabetes. This is a type of diabetes that only develops during pregnancy. If it is not managed properly it can negatively affect both the expectant mother‘s and baby’s health.  In most cases, after pregnancy, gestational diabetes resolves on its own, but the mother is then at a higher risk of developing type two diabetes.

Finally, women with type 2 diabetes are ten times more likely to have coronary heart disease than  women who don’t have diabetes.

Due to these facts and figures there is a need to focus on women, raise awareness and ensure that health services are equipped to address the specific needs of women with regards to diabetes.

Black Women and Diabetes

Black women are at a significantly higher risk of developing diabetes than their white counterparts. In the US, diabetes affects 25% of black women in the 55 and over age group and it is the fourth leading cause of death in black American women of all ages.

Black women in the UK are also at increased risk of developing diabetes  and diabetes rates in the Caribbean and Africa are also high.

It is thought that the increased risk in black women is due to multiple factors including genetics and black women being more likely to have high blood pressure,  to be obese and be physically inactive.

What Can We Do?

Diabetes can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle. We should endeavour to:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat a healthy diet
• Get active: it doesn’t have to be structured exercise, just anything that increases your heart rate such as gardening, brisk walking, dancing, cycling, playing with the kids

Let’s all spread the word about the prevention of diabetes so that we can stop more women, especially black women, from developing this condition.

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References

International Diabetes Federation

American Diabetes Association. Diabetes in African American Communities Advocacy Fact Sheet.

World Diabetes Day is on 14th November 2017 and the theme is Women and Diabetes – Our Right to a Healthy Future

The campaign is being organised by the International Diabetes Federation and will promote the importance of affordable and equitable access for all women at risk for or living with diabetes to the essential diabetes medicines and technologies, self-management education and information they require to achieve optimal diabetes outcomes and strengthen their capacity to prevent type 2 diabetes.