Optimising health and well-being in diabetes - Essay Example

This essay “Optimising health and well-being in diabetes” investigates the social impact of diabetes and suggests possible methods of treatment for such patients. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease wherein the patient affected would have high blood sugar. The cause for such high blood sugar is to either the pancreas not producing sufficient insulin, or the cells not reacting well to the insulin that is released to the blood. The sufficient management of diabetes is important because it can extremely high (hyperglycaemia) or extremely low (hypoglycaemia) levels of blood sugar can lead to the above complications.

The social impact of diabetes is also significant as the disease has already been responsible for high mortality rates worldwide, with 2007 estimates being 6% of global mortality rates. For the poorest states, the burden of diabetes is even greater as their medical care is more than they can afford. These patients are also unable to afford the additional cost of their disease, especially costs relating to complications associated with the disease. The disease also has devastating effects on families, especially in terms of lost income, increased medical costs, economic failures in businesses, and withdrawals of children from school to care for sick relatives are just some of the burdens of this disease.

The implementation of measures for health improvement can help prevent the initial manifestation of the disease, and after its diagnosis, such measures can help in its effective management. Investments in the effective management of this disease can help delay its onset and also prevent the manifestation of complications (Prince, 2008). This disease can be efficiently managed through various interventions and lifestyle changes. Investments in the workplace, community, and in the patient’s life can assist in ensuring sustained interventions for the patient.