Diabetes should not be taken lightly, but diabetics are not always aware of the complications they should be paying the most attention to. A survey of awareness of the disease among diabetics, conducted by the Taiwanese Association of Diabetes Educators (TADB), has found that the complications diabetes sufferers are most concerned about are damage to the retina, kidney disease and cardiovascular complications, in that order. They should, however, be most worried about the cardiovascular complications and low blood sugar.
According to Tu Shih-te, president of the TADB, cardiovascular disease is currently the most common cause of death among diabetics, and 50 percent of the total number of diabetics who have had the disease for an average of 10 years or more and are hospitalized with comorbidity suffer from cardiovascular disease.
Tu also pointed out that, according to the latest figures from the 2019 annual report on diabetes in Taiwan, the mortality rate from cardiovascular disease as a result of complications from diabetes has been on the rise for the last 10 years.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者吳亮儀
The association discovered that diabetics were not knowledgeable about the medicine they were taking, and despite being aware of the importance of controlling their blood sugar, diabetics often had trouble maintaining the correct blood sugar levels. At the same time, there was a gap between doctors and patients concerning their respective understanding of the seriousness of the disease complications.
According to the survey, 64 percent of patients were aware that controlling their blood sugar levels was important, but 60 percent failed to achieve the set levels for various reasons, including irregular lifestyles, a combination of multiple chronic diseases and a high average age, all of which made it difficult to keep blood sugar levels under control. In addition, some diabetics tend to assume they know best, and adjust their dosages without consulting their doctor, affecting their ability to control their blood sugar levels.
Formosan Diabetes Care Foundation chief executive officer Tsai Shih-Tzer said that excessive blood sugar levels means that major organs will be exposed to high sugar concentrations over extended periods, and this will cause various kinds of complications. It is not the case, however, that the lower the blood sugar the better, he said, as major organs such as the brain and the heart require it, and excessively low blood sugar levels brings with it risk of heart attack.
Problems caused by low blood sugar levels can be a hidden killer, because it can lead to issues with the autonomic nervous system such as cold sweats, muscle shakes and heart palpitations, and in serious s cases can lead to hypersomnia, slurred speech and erratic behavior, in some cases leading to coma or even death.
(Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times)
有糖尿病別輕忽，要注意的併發症和病患們想得不一樣。糖尿病衛教學會發布醫病認知調查，糖尿病患們最擔心的併發症依序是視網膜病變、腎病變、心血管併發症，但真正最該重視的應是心血管併發症與低血糖。
糖尿病衛教學會理事長杜思德指出，其實「心血管疾病」是目前糖尿病患者最常見的死因，因共病住院、平均罹病十年以上的糖尿病患者，有五成都有心血管疾病。
他也指出，根據二○一九年最新糖尿病年鑑數據，糖尿病患併發心血管疾病的死亡率，十年來都是持續上升。
糖尿病衛教學會發現糖尿病患們對自己吃的藥不了解，即使知道控糖的重要性，血糖卻未達標，同時也發現醫師、病人對併發症重要程度認知大不同。
調查結果顯示，百分之六十四的病患認為控制血糖相當重要，但也有百分之六十的病患沒有達標，原因包括生活作息不規律、合併多種慢性病、平均年齡高等，造成控糖不易；另外也有患者偏好自己當醫師，隨意增減用藥，影響血糖控制。
糖尿病關懷基金會執行長蔡世澤說，血糖太高會讓重要器官長期浸泡在糖水當中，引發各種併發症，但血糖也不是愈低愈好，腦部、心臟等重要器官都需要糖分，血糖過低恐增加心肌梗塞風險。
而糖尿病低血糖問題也是隱藏殺手，因低血糖輕則出現自主神經症狀如冒冷汗、發抖、心悸等問題，嚴重更可能導致嗜睡、言語不清、不自主地出現怪異行為、甚至昏迷、致死。
（自由時報）
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