Diabetes is one of the most common health disorders, alongside heart ailment, cancer and obesity. In India itself there are an estimated 77 million diabetics; these numbers place the country among the top 10 countries. India is second to only China, which leads the table with over 116 million diabetics.
That means, one in six people with diabetes in the world is from India.
If we look at Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), it is a metabolic disorder of insulin resistance. To any layman, it would mean that there is a reduced sensitivity to the action of insulin, which in turn leads to high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia. This is a major public health concern, as T2D dramatically increases risk for heart disease, including heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure.
A recent study published on the Harvard University Health Blog talks about the development and progression of T2D, affected by many factors and how lifestyle can play a major role in the disease’s stability. In this they mention how some factors, such as a person’s race/ethnicity, age, and gender cannot be modified. However there are other factors which are in our hands/can be controlled, including body weight, exercise, and diet.
How will a healthy lifestyle help diabetics?
Ever heard of ‘Life’s Simple 7’? It was actually a kind of lifestyle recommendation published in 2010 by the American Heart Association (AHA) which they defined as “seven risk factors that people can improve through lifestyle changes to help achieve ideal cardiovascular health.”
It was truly simple, at least when read for the first time, since it touched upon the basics which we already knew. From smoking status, physical activity, ideal body weight, to intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure.
Subsequent studies found that people in optimal ranges for each of these factors had lower risks of heart disease compared to those in poor ranges. But given the significant increase in heart disease risk in those with T2D, “it was not clear if the impact of these modifiable factors would hold true for the T2D population.”
Recent study suggests lifestyle changes do benefit T2D
A recent study published in JAMA Cardiology studied whether the ideal cardiovascular metrics covered in ‘Life’s Simple 7’ translate into improved cardiovascular health for those with T2D or prediabetes.
To put it simply, the results were exciting, and consistent with other large population-based studies. And this is the first study to show a positive association between ideal lifestyle factors and cardiovascular health in people who are at high risk for cardiovascular diseases due to T2D. This highlights the importance of our lifestyle choices, suggesting that meeting ideal health metrics can help reduce risk of cardiovascular events.
Life’s Simple 7
You don’t need to have diabetes, cardiovascular diseases or heart related ailments to turn towards a healthy lifestyle, and set metabolic goals for yourself.
These are the ‘Life’s Simple 7’ that you can incorporate into your daily life from today for a healthy tomorrow:
