Know thy enemy: A poster displaying information on diabetes at Hospital Sungai Buloh. — FAIHAN GHANI/ The Star
PETALING JAYA: A new year is just around the corner. So perhaps Malaysians should begin to take a serious look at their sugar intake.
About 18.3% of the adult population (3.9 million people) in the country have diabetes. Some of them are even unaware of their condition.
Malaysia has the highest rate of diabetes in the Western Pacific region and one of the highest in the world, said former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye.
The prevalence of diabetes cases increased from 11.2% to 18.3% between 2011 and 2019.Calling the trend worrying, Dr Lee attributed this to factors such as ageing, urbanisation, sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity, and rising obesity rates.
“The cost of treating diabetes and its complications has increased. Diabetes is a leading cause of coronary heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, limb amputation and blindness,” he added.
He also said that diabetes and most diabetic complications are not reversible.
“However, the complications can be delayed or averted by early diagnosis and treatment.
“For someone with a high risk of diabetes such as positive family history or obesity, the onset can be delayed by exercise, diet and weight reduction,” he added.
Public health advocate Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin said the trend is alarming because of the high number of pre-diabetes patients, adding that about 31% of the population could turn diabetic within two to five years.
“There is an increasing trend of diabetes among the younger population below 30 years old,” he said.
Dr Zainal said treatment is the only way to keep diabetes under control and prevent any complications, as there is no permanent cure for it.
He urged the public to practise a healthy lifestyle, especially from a young age, to keep diabetes at bay.
Those above the age of 25 must go for frequent health screenings, and risk factors must be treated, he said.
He also noted that the burden of the disease is high, as its treatment increases healthcare costs as a whole, and could also lead to medical complications, morbidity and loss of productivity.
These affect resources for other health programmes, he added.
In a forum last month, Sunway Medical Centre consultant endocrinologist Dr Alexander Tan said it is important to check if one is in the pre-diabetes stage, as it is a warning sign of the onset of the disease.
“Your body is already getting there and there are actually things you can do to prevent or slow yourself from going into that stage,” he said during the Pharmaceutical Association of Malaysia’s “Health Chat: Pre-Diabetes – A Chance for Change” event.
He said remission is possible for both diabetes and pre-diabetes patients, but the condition can come back.Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement last month that an estimated 537 million adults aged 20 to 79 are currently suffering from diabetes globally.
He said about 3.9 million (18.3%) adults aged 18 and above had diabetes in the country, and almost half of diabetics were unaware of their status.
Detecting diabetes and getting early treatment are important to manage the disease and to prevent complications and premature death, he said.
This is because the longer a person goes on with untreated diabetes, the higher are the risks of complications and premature death.
