What is Diabetes? Learn about its symptoms, prevention in simple terms from DASG

Diabetes India: World Congress of Diabetes & Diabetes in Asia Study Group (DASG), organised a conference in Ahmedabad from 13th Feb to 16th Feb, discussing various aspects of Diabetes care & awareness in the society. Distributed Fellowship to 250 doctors from India and abroad & gave awards to 20 doctors for Diabetes research, education & awareness initiatives (each from different states of India). I was selected from NCR-Delhi. Award was given by the president of International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Dr Peter Schwarz and Eminent Senior Physicians from India- Dr V.Mohan (Chennai),Dr Shashank Joshi (Mumbai), Dr Banshi Saboo (Ahmedabad) and other organising members.

Understanding Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic medical condition where the body struggles to regulate blood sugar levels. This occurs either because the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use the insulin it produces effectively. Insulin is a hormone that helps cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream to use for energy. As a result, people with diabetes face high blood sugar, which can lead to serious health complications like heart disease, kidney damage, and nerve issues.

Types of Diabetes

There are mainly two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leading to little or no insulin production. On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes is more common and occurs when the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t respond properly to it. While Type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed in children and young adults, Type 2 is most often seen in adults and is largely related to lifestyle factors like poor diet and lack of physical activity.