Diabetes
- jessicaaqian
- Oct 7, 2024
- 1 min read

A metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar. This happens when one's body does not generate sufficient insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin made.
Symptoms
Increased thirst and urination
Increased hunger
Fatigue
Blurred vision
Numbness or tingling in the feet or hands
Sores that do not heal
Unexplained weight loss
What Does This Mean?
Type 1 Diabetes
If you have type 1 diabetes, your pancreas makes very little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone that allows blood sugar or glucose to enter the cells in your body and be used as energy. It is not caused by diet and lifestyle habits. Type 1 diabetes usually emerges at a young age.
Type 2 Diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not produce or use insulin efficiently. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, which can be caused by excess weight. Excessive belly fat is linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
Risk Factors
Family history: Type 1 diabetes can be caused by genetic influences Occasionally, it is exacerbated by environmental influences, such as being diagnosed with a virus
Type 2 Diabetes
Have pre-diabetes
Overweight or obese (body mass
index ≥ 23.0kg/m2 and ≥ 25.0kg/m2 respectively)
Sedentary lifestyle: physically active less than 3 times a week
Have ever had gestational diabetes or given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
Increasingly prevalent in Singaporeans due to sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets, such as high sugar intake
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes develops in some women when they are pregnant, due to hormonal and lifestyle changes
Hormones produced by the placenta can contribute to insulin resistance
Some pregnant women are unable to produce enough insulin to overcome the insulin resistance and hence develop gestational diabetes
Most of the time, this type of diabetes goes away after delivery, but increases risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Sometimes diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is actually type 2 diabetes
Management/Prevention
Before getting pregnant, gestational diabetes can be prevented by losing weight if you are overweight, following healthy diets, and engaging in regular physical activity
Risk factors
Had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy
Have given birth to a baby who weighed > 9 pounds
Are overweight. Women who are overweight or obese prior to pregnancy may already have insulin resistance which worsens when they become pregnant. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy may also cause diabetes
Are more than 25 years old
Have a family history of type 2 diabetes
Have a hormonal disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Written by: Goh Ting Wei | Designed by: Tan Khai Teng | Edited by: Jonathan Kuek
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