Diabetes: Best Practice - Essay Example

Keywords: diabetes, disease, management

            Diabetes is a chronic disease that is related to abnormalities that influence the way the body utilizes sugar.  There are two main types of diabetes, which are Type I and Type II diabetes. Diabetes mellitus (Type I) is a chronic disease that is characterized by high sugar levels in the blood (Brill, 2012). On the other hand, Type II diabetes occurs when the body cells cannot use insulin effectively.  (Brill, 2012). In some cases, the cells are not able to utilize insulin at all. It is the most common diabetes in the world.  The paper focuses on Type II diabetes, which is directly and indirectly caused by urbanization, obesity, lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, and unhealthy lifestyle.

                        At this point, it is essential to note that diabetes can lead to long-term complications like cardiovascular diseases. In some cases, these complications may be the first symptom of diabetes that is noticed by the individual.  Diabetes can lead to the destruction of major blood vessels in the body. In effect, it automatically doubles the risks of one suffering from a chronic cardiovascular disease (Barnett, 2006).  Some of these diseases include stroke and arteriosclerosis. Factually, most of the deaths that occur from diabetes are caused by coronary diseases (Barnett, 2006).  Consequently, the management and prevention of diabetes will eventually reduce the number of deaths related to cardiovascular diseases.

            According to the World Health Organization, diabetes, heart diseases, cancers and chronic diseases of the respiratory system are the biggest killers in the world today.  These diseases account for almost 60% of all deaths globally (Hajet et al, 2012).  The negative effects of diabetes and other chronic diseases have been felt within the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi, which is part of the UAE, has an extremely high rate of diabetes prevalence (Hajet et al, 2012). It is ranked number two in the whole world. The main causes of diabetes are unhealthy lifestyle, genetic conditions, and age.

                        The high prevalence rate of diabetes in Abu Dhabi is related to the high rate of urbanization and rapid increase in wealth.  An increase in wealth means that most people are able to buy any food and hire help. Consequently, most people succumb to lifestyles devoid of exercise and full of junk food. The result is obesity, which can lead to Type II diabetes. In the long run, diabetes and obesity are likely to develop and cause the onset of cardiovascular diseases. This explains why cardiovascular diseases are the number one killers in the UAE.  This is because 67% of adults suffer from being overweight or obese and 57% suffer from central obesity (Hajet et al, 2012).  The evidence is supported by the fact that 18% of the population had diabetes and 27% showed signs of pre-diabetes (Hajet et al, 2012).  Prediabetes occurs when an individual shows signs of high blood sugar, which is not high enough to be classified as type II diabetes. Individuals with pre-diabetes have increased risks of developing type II diabetes and heart diseases (Brill, 2012).

Prevention of diabetes (Type II) is achievable through a healthy lifestyle characterized by a healthy diet, routine exercises, and constant medical monitoring (Peacock, 2000). It is important to monitor those who come from families with a history of diabetes. In addition, it is essential to create awareness concerning the strong connections between diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.  Awareness can emphasize the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

In conclusion, the increase in diabetes in middle-income countries is mainly due to poor lifestyle conditions.  Poor lifestyle conditions are the causative factors of chronic diseases. These diseases are interconnected with diabetes being at the center. The management and prevention of diabetes are bound to reduce rates of death resulting from cardiovascular diseases. One should note that there is no known prevention of type I diabetes (Barnet, 2006). Therefore, constant medical check-ups are essential to ensure the disease is managed well.