Health experts push for healthier choices amid increased diabetes cases in PH

Health experts reiterated their call to the public to make “healthier choices” amid the rising number of diabetes cases in the Philippines over the past years.

"What we want to advocate is that we have to have healthier food choices.  So more vegetables, whole grains, and not the processed ones," Philippine College of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism president Dr. Lora May Tin Hay said in an ambush interview Wednesday.

She said they want to encourage people to stand up and move.

":Even every hour, you can do exercises desk-side... You can do stretching, you can walk, you can climb up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. You can park your car a farther distance away, then walk the rest of the way," Tin Hay added.

In a press conference for the World Diabetes Day, PCEDM shared that type 2 diabetes mellitus have affected around 5.5 million Filipinos or around 8.1% of Filipino adults.

Now a leading public health challenge, diabetes has also been named the top 5 cause of death in the country.

Tin Hay said there are non-modifiable or uncontrollable risks to contracting diabetes such as age or genetics which account to 40%.

However, the remaining 60% were modifiable or controllable factors, the top 3 of which were obesity, physical inactivity, and lifestyle.

“For type 2 diabetes, even the younger kids nowadays, the adolescents, they're starting to have higher rates of type 2 diabetes for all of these patients…  The numbers are on the rise., and that's why we're really very adamant about educating people,” Tin Hay said.

“[Obesity, inactivity, and lifestyle are among] the driving force. Compared to 1998, and then they did another survey in 2019, the prevalence of obesity has doubled since that time. [All of] these things… because if you have excess weight, then there is hypertension, bad cholesterol levels, diabetes, lung problems, heart problems, they all go up at the same time,” she added.

Complications

Diabetes is also a risk factor that can link to a lot of different health complications, which have also become prevalent concerns in public health.

Philippine Society of Nephrology president Dr. Ricardo Francisco Jr. shared that diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the country.

“About 60% of patients with CKD is due to diabetes. Importante talaga mascreen ang patient with diabetes [agad] para maaga natin makita kung sino ang nagsisimula na magka-kidney disease, para hindi na tayo mapunta sa dialysis… I’m here to give you the message that diabetes is the number 1 driver for CKD not only here, but in the world,” he shared.

(About 60% of patients with CKD is due to diabetes. It’s really important that we screen patients with diabetes [right away] so we can find out earlier who is starting to have kidney disease so we no longer have to undergo dialysis… I’m here to give you the message that diabetes is the number 1 driver for CKD not only here, but in the world.)

Philippine Heart Association Board of Trustee member Dr. Lourdes Santos also added that diabetes often causes silent heart attacks wherein patients feel no symptoms or indications.

Very commonly, diabetes or high blood sugar is among the high risk factors that lead to the development of heart diseases.

Ischemic heart disease remains the top killer in the Philippines.

“Kapag may diabetes, ang nakakatakot diyan sa pagtaas ang asukal, 'yung modifiable risk factors nagi-interplay 'yan. Pag mataas ang asukal, 'yung isang risk na pwede din magkaroon ng heart attack or cholesterol [spike],” said Santos.

(If there is diabetes, the scary thing is the increase in sugar, since the modifiable risk starts to interplay. If the sugar is high, one of the risks is that there will be a heart attack or cholesterol [spike].)

“Kapag my diabetes ka, tumataas din po ang ating bad cholesterol at triglycerides. 'Yung ugat natin mas dumikit at magko-cause ng bara. Pagka may diabetes kayo 'yung high blood ninyo naapektuhan din,” she added.

(If you have diabetes, your bad cholesterol and triglycerides increase too. Your veins may be damaged, get plaque build up which can obstruct blood flow. If you have diabetes, your high blood is affected too.)

Santos also noted that diabetes increase the risk of heart failure.

“Sa mga pasyente na merong diabetes, naaapektuhan 'yung muscle ng puso… 'Yung pumping ability, less than 55%... Pagka sobrang pangit ng abilidad ng pusong tumibok or mag-pump, na ang ejection fraction becomes less than 40%, we call it impaired or reduced ejection fraction. Hindi maganda 'yun,” she said.

(In patients with diabetes, the heart muscles get even more affected… The pumping ability gets less than 55%... If your heart’s ability to pump is so bad, and the ejection fraction becomes less than 40%, we call it impaired or reduced ejection fraction. That’s not good.)

“Pag hindi natin na-control 'yung diabetes, heart failure can eventually happen,” she continued.

(If we cannot control diabetes, heart failure can eventually happen.)

Stroke Society of the Philippines president Dr. Ma. Cristina Macrohon-Valdez also said that diabetes was one of the top 3 risk factors that can induce stroke, which is one of the country’s leading causes of death.

“Hindi lang po pagbabara ang nangyayari sa utak dahil sa diabetes. Pwede din po pumutok 'yung ugat. The only way to prevent the stroke is to prevent the risk factors… The only way to prevent the stroke is to prevent diabetes,” Valdez said.

(Clots aren’t the only thing that can happen in the brain due to diabetes. Your veins might burst, too. The only way to prevent the stroke is to prevent the risk factors… The only way to prevent the stroke is to prevent diabetes.)

DOH pushes for policies

Dr. Sean Aquino, Department of Health (DOH) Medical Officer III for Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Division, shared that the Health Department has been working to control the prevalence of NCDs like diabetes in the country.

He noted that they have allotted around P700 billion to deal with NCDs, but shared that they had been advocating for the public to choose healthier options.

“Ang primary thrust po ng DOH ay really mag-focus sa prevention at primordial. we want to promote a healthier environment. Kailangan ng healthier choices para ma-promote healthier diet, physical activity,” Aquino noted.

(The primary thrust of DOH is to really focus on prevention and primordial. We want to promote a healthier environment. We need healthier choice to promote healthier diet, physical activity.)

On part of the Health Department, Aquino said that they have succeeded on a legislation imposing excise tax on sugary beverages to discourage overconsumption.

They are also working on policies to mandate proper nutrition labels on products in the market to help the public make informed decisions on what they consume.

“Currently ongoing [ang] talks natin, [as well as] policy dialogues with stakeholders when it comes to that… Andiyan 'yung public awareness [campaigns] when it comes to healthier options,” he said.

(Our talks, [as well as] policy dialogues with stakeholders, are currently ongoing when it comes to that… Our public awareness [campaigns] when it comes to healthier options are there.)

He also added that DOH was working with health experts and local government units to push for tailor-fitted programs and options for accessibility.

“With those efforts and policies, we are surely encouraging people to make healthier options,” he said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News