This study which was funded by National Institute of Health was recently presented at the American Heart Association is considered as good support in finding the relationship between improper sleep and various health hazards. So Doctors are advised to discuss about their patients sleeping habits to prevent any adverse health effect in their future.

1. Diabetic patients should try to take shorter meals giving small intervals instead of taking heavy meal at once. This is because the blood sugar level does not increase suddenly as the smaller amount of insulin or the medicine which is injected is insufficient to metabolize large amount of blood sugar.

2. When diabetic patients are away from their home on a tour or while long traveling they should take fruits like apples, oranges or sweet limes to prevent low blood sugar.

3. Saccharine is more preferable to sugar for diabetic patients, although it is sweeter than sugar but it has no calorie level.

4. Maintain meal timings properly to maintain blood sugar at normal levels at all time.

5. Have variety in food so that all necessary vitamins, minerals and other nutrients will reach the body.

6. Spices can be taken by diabetic patients as they contain less calorific value, but try to restrict the use of salt.

7. Increase your awareness about the disease if you are a diabetic like how body controls blood sugar, the effects of insulin and others drugs, effect of exercise, different foods and diseases in the body.

8. Make sure that your friends and your colleagues know that you are a diabetic patient so that they will not force you to take unnecessary food.

9. Avoid operating machinery or driving unless you have eaten in the previous two hours.

10. Children and those particularly prone to hypoglycemic attacks should carry a card giving details of their condition and instructions for treatment in emergency.

Diabetes ruins almost every part of the body in the long run. Complications in the nervous system gives rise to distorted sensations, inefficiency of the urinary bladder and sexual debility. Complications of the heart and blood vessels results in the hardening and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) high blood pressure and chronic heart diseases. Diabetic patients are at 5-6 times of higher risk when compared to non-diabetic healthy persons. Diabetes may also damage retina of eyes which gradually results in loss of vision. Other retinal problems like cataract too occurs at early age in diabetics. Disturbance in the respiratory system may also result in an increased susceptibility to infectious diseases of the lungs like tuberculosis. Complications of the digestive system due to diabetes gives undesirable effects. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and gall stones are common in diabetic patients.

DIET- The single most important factor to control diabetes is diet. Remember one thing faulty dietary habits should be given up or else all other diabetic treatments will be of very little value. Especially for obese diabetics, maintaining good diet will be of more significance. Food substances containing large quantity of sugar such as sweets, pastries, ice cream, syrup, honey, cake, etc must be avoided by diabetic patients. Where as food which is rich in starch, such as potatoes, bread and rice should be used in limited quantities. The ability to utilize carbohydrates by diabetic patients is limited to certain extent. When this limit is exceeded the result will be  seen in the form of increase in the blood sugar level, leaking of sugar in urine and faulty fat metabolism. Because of this concentrated sources of quickly absorbable carbohydrates like sugars, etc should be avoided and pure refined starches should be limited. If vascular complications are set in then saturated fats should be avoided. Total amount of calories consumed is the mainstay of adequate dietary control. List of foods to be avoided and the quantity of food which should limited are as follows-

1. FOODS TO BE TOTALLY AVOIDED BY DIABETIC PATIENT- All the concentrated food particles of sugar such as sugar, glucose, jam, chocolates, sweets, sweet drinks, sweetened milk, canned fruits, sweet biscuits, cakes, pie, pudding, peppermint and alcohol should be totally avoided.

2. FOODS WHICH SHOULD BE TAKEN IN LIMITED QUANTITY- Food particles like cereals, pulses, potatoes, peas, dry fruits, cheese, milk, butter, ghee, oil, meat, eggs, fish, and curd should be taken at certain limited level.

3. FOODS WHICH CAN BE TAKEN FREELY- Fruits, vegetables, drinks like coffee, tea, etc. sweetened with saccharine.

4. FEW SPECIAL MEDICINAL FOODS- Certain food substances like bitter ground, black berry, trifle, fenugreek, garlic and neem are considered natural medicinal foods for controlling diabetes, and these are preferred for diabetic patients.

5. FIBRE FOODS- Fibers lower the rate of glucose absorption from the gut and hence lowers blood glucose level and naturally helps in treating diabetes. Fiber helps in reducing insulin dosage administered to the diabetic patient.

Diabetic patient may also suffer from coma when the concentration of blood glucose level drops much below the normal level which is called hypoglycemia. But coma due to hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level) occurs rapid and sudden where as coma due to hyperglycemia (excessive blood glucose level) is a slow process. The symptoms of this condition are excessive thirst; dryness of mouth, patient feels very tired and weak, headache, nausea, vomiting, profuse urination, etc.

According to American Diabetes Association nearly 24 million Americans are diabetic.

The study was conducted in karolinska institute, stockholm, Sweden, by Weili xu and his colleagues. He further says that his findings offer one more reason for people to maintain a healthy lifestyle so as to avoid problems of dementia in later part of their life.

The study began in 1998 and all the participants were atleast 65 when the study began. The study lasted till 2001.

Among all the participants 467 were diagnosed with dementia and 292 of them were diagnosed with alzheimer’s. Diabetic participants were about 1,396.

“Twins provide naturally matched pairs, in which confounding factors such as genetics and childhood environment may be removed when comparisons are made between twins”. co-author Margaret Gatz, PhD, professor of psychology, gerontology, and preventive medicine at the University of Southern California and foreign adjunct professor of medical epidemiology and biostatistics at the Karolinska Institutet, says in a news release.

WHAT IS DIABETES

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder caused due to the deficiency of the hormone insulin or the inability of the body to utilise the available amount of insulin. Insulin is produced by a gland called pancreas. Oxidization of glucose in the body is necessary in order to release energy and insulin helps in this. Because of the insufficient insulin the glucose accumulates in the blood causing the symptoms of diabetes.

MECHANISM OF DIABETES

The carbohydrates we take are digested in the intestine and the end products of this carbohydrates digestion are sugars chiefly comprising of glucose. This glucose is absorbed through the mucous membrane of intestines to enter the blood stream and this leads to an increase concentration of glucose in the blood. Insulin released from the pancreas makes this glucose available to each and every cell of the body which uses it as the fuel to generate heat and energy. Insulin is essential for glucose fuel to gain entry into the cellular engine. If the amount of glucose in the blood stream is greater than the cellular requirements then insulin converts the excess glucose into glycogen and this glycogen is stored in the liver. Insulin is also concerned with the conversion of glucose into fat by the liver which is then stored into adipose tissues.

In general after we take food the concentration of glucose in the blood rise and insulin prevents the glucose concentration to rise above the normal physiological limit. Thus by this we can understand that the main and obvious function of insulin is to control the concentration of glucose in the blood. If the insulin is absent or in not sufficient amount in the blood then the glucose absorbed is can’t enter various body cells and also can’t be converted into glycogen. This leads to an increase blood glucose level and when this blood passes through the kidneys, the sugar which is beyond the capacity of kidneys to reabsorb spills into urine.

It is well known that glucose is the main source of energy to all the cells of the body and the insulin being the main transport mechanism but due to deficiency of insulin the glucose cannot enters the cells which causes cellular starvation because of this the body uses the stored fats and proteins. This is why diabetic patients becomes weak and their weight reduces.

Insulin helps in metabolism of fats and proteins. Insulin converts the fatty acids into fats which is stored. Insulin prevents conversion of stored fats and proteins for the energy requirements of the body till sugar and stored glycogen are available to meet the energy needs of the body.

But in diabetic patients because of deficiency of insulin hyperglycemia occurs which cannot stimulate the satiety center. So even though the food intake is normal the satiety center is not stimulated and feeding center is always active which lead to increase in the food intake and uncontrolled hunger leading to obesity. So diabetic patients are advised to take low calorie diet and sugar free drinks.