Three-tiered prevention of diabetes: Key measures and strategies for controlling blood sugar

Three Levels of Prevention for Diabetes

Although diabetes has become one of the most prevalent diseases threatening the health of modern people, it is actually preventable. The following three lines of defense are crucial:

Primary Prevention: Establish correct eating habits and adopt a healthy lifestyle. While there is a genetic component to diabetes, lifestyle and environmental factors are also significant. Excessive calorie intake, overnutrition, obesity, and lack of exercise are the main causes. The best dietary principle is to consume appropriate calories, low sugar, low salt, low fat, high fiber, and sufficient vitamins.

Secondary Prevention: Regularly monitor blood sugar to detect asymptomatic diabetes as early as possible. Middle-aged and elderly people should include blood sugar testing in their routine physical examinations. Even if a single blood sugar test is normal, regular testing is still necessary. For conditions such as polyuria and cataracts, prompt blood sugar testing and careful differentiation are essential for early diagnosis and treatment, preventing complications.

Tertiary Prevention: Diabetic patients are prone to developing other chronic diseases, and many patients' lives are endangered due to complications. Therefore, it is crucial to strengthen the monitoring of chronic complications of diabetes, as early diagnosis and treatment can reduce the harm caused by complications and allow patients to live a normal life. How to correctly self-test blood sugar? First, pay attention to the various warning signals of the blood glucose meter and ensure it has sufficient power before operation. Then, adjust the blood glucose meter code to match the test strip code. Each time you self-test, check the surface of the test strip for moisture or other contamination; never touch the surface of the test strip with your hands. Before collecting blood, wash your hands thoroughly with warm water or neutral soap, and rub the finger you are going to use repeatedly until there is sufficient blood. Then, disinfect the fingertip with 75% alcohol, and wait for the alcohol to evaporate completely before pricking your finger. Absorb a drop of blood into the absorption groove of the test strip, insert the test strip into the blood glucose meter, and wait for the result. It is important to note that once blood is drawn onto the test strip, do not draw more blood, otherwise the test result will be inaccurate.

Diabetes is closely related to genetic factors and is a hereditary disease. However, what is inherited is not the disease itself, but rather a predisposition to developing diabetes.

The higher the risk of other family members developing diabetes, the higher the risk of diabetes. Studies show that if both parents have diabetes, their children have a greater than 50% chance of developing the disease; if only one parent has diabetes, the probability is 20%–30%. While there is currently no cure for diabetes, it can be well controlled through various treatments. Even families with a history of diabetes can avoid developing the disease by understanding its development patterns and taking proactive preventative measures.

We know that besides genetic factors, environmental factors are a major trigger for diabetes. Therefore, people with a family history of diabetes should pay attention to overcoming environmental influences to prevent the disease.

First, avoid obesity. Overweight or obese individuals are several times more likely to develop diabetes than those of normal weight. For these reasons, people with a family history of diabetes must adjust their diet, change unhealthy eating habits, increase physical activity, and avoid being overweight or obese. Second, manage emotions and maintain a positive attitude. Finally, if you have a family history of diabetes, to detect it early, you should not only monitor your blood sugar but also undergo insulin receptor binding rate testing as early as possible to identify any predisposition to diabetes and take timely intervention measures to effectively prevent its development.