Diabetes is not a sentence, but it is also not a disease that can be ignored. It is a chronic disease that gradually destroys the body from the inside if left unchecked. Today, millions of people in Ukraine are living with this diagnosis. They face the challenges posed by diabetes on a daily basis: from the need to constantly monitor their blood sugar levels to the risk of developing serious complications.
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Diabetes is a silent killer
Diabetes is a disease that affects various organs and systems. The most common complications are:
- Cardiovascular diseases: Myocardial infarction and stroke are frequent companions of diabetes. Damage to blood vessels increases the risk of blood clots and narrowing of the vessel lumen.
- Kidney problems: Diabetes is one of the most common causes of chronic kidney failure. Persistently high blood sugar levels damage the kidney glomeruli.
- Eye problems: Diabetic retinopathy is a damage to the retina of the eye that can lead to complete vision loss.
- Nerve damage: Diabetic neuropathy is manifested by numbness, tingling, and pain in the limbs. It can lead to leg ulcers and amputation.
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How to prevent diabetes
Although type I diabetes usually develops in childhood and cannot be prevented, the risk of developing type II diabetes can be significantly reduced. To do this, you need to follow a healthy lifestyle:
- A balanced diet: Give preference to vegetables, fruits, whole grain products, limit the consumption of simple carbohydrates, fats and salt.
- Regular physical activity: Physical activity helps control weight, lowers blood sugar levels and increases the sensitivity of cells to insulin.
- Weight control: Overweight and obesity significantly increase the risk of developing diabetes.
- Quitting bad habits: Smoking and alcohol abuse negatively affect the entire body, including metabolism.
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Diabetes and the availability of medicines
One of the most important aspects of diabetes treatment is regular monitoring of blood glucose levels. For this purpose, special test strips are used. However, the cost of test strips is unaffordable for many patients.
In Ukraine, the Affordable Medicines programme is in place, which allows patients with type I diabetes to receive test strips free of charge or with a small surcharge. However, patients with type II diabetes do not have this opportunity. This leads to the fact that many people cannot regularly monitor their blood sugar levels, which, in turn, increases the risk of complications.
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What to do?
To solve the problem of access to test strips, it is necessary to
- Expand the ‘Affordable Medicines’ programme: Include test strips for patients with type II diabetes.
- Raise awareness of diabetes: Conduct information campaigns to ensure that people understand the importance of controlling their blood sugar.
- Support patient organisations: A united effort can help bring about positive change.
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