Diabetes Mellitus

By Sheela Rani Chunkath

Diabetes is a health issue that almost everyone faces. It has become the number one public health threat and menace for Indians. As disposable incomes rise and physical activity declines, almost everyone is at risk of becoming a diabetic. Ayurveda gives a manifold classification of diabetes as those that can be cured, those that cannot and those that can be controlled. Diabetes cannot be addressed through home remedies alone and needs to be treated by a vaidyar.

In diabetes, prevention is always the better option as in the case of most diseases. However, in the case of diabetes, prevention is so easy that none of us should become diabetic. Cutting down on your carbohydrate intake and sugar is key. Moderate exercise will almost certainly prevent diabetes. Just walking for about 45 minutes everyday along with sensible eating will certainly help ensure that you don’t become diabetic. Now that it is summer, do not overdo exercises. Summertime, according to Ayurveda, is the time to eat less and exercise very much in moderation. The body is already drying and heating up and now is not the time to exercise strenuously. As far as diabetes is concerned, gentle exercise increased gradually is the key. If done in moderation and without pushing yourself excessively, walking, swimming, cycling and dancing are all forms of exercise which are good for prevention and control of diabetes.

Nisamalaki, a combination of turmeric and amla, is good for preventing diabetes. I make mine at home, by mixing equal quantities of organic turmeric powder and organic dried amla powder. A quarter to half spoon of the mixture acts as a powerful antioxidant.

To quickly find out whether you are a diabetic or not and whether you are in danger of becoming a diabetic, I would suggest you do a test called the glycosylated haemoglobin or HbA1c test. What this test does is to find out how much sugar has been floating around in your system during the last 3 months and whether this is normal or not.

This test can be done very easily. Just walk into any good diagnostic laboratory and ask them to do a HbA1c test. The good thing about this test is that you need not be on an empty stomach. All it takes is just five minutes. The laboratory assistant will draw blood from a vein and give you the results in a matter of hours. It is that simple.

HbA1c or glycosylated haemoglobin is formed by the attachment of glucose to haemoglobin (the oxygen carrying protein found in red blood cells). The percentage of glycosylated haemoglobin in the blood reflects the average blood sugar levels over the preceding 2-3 months.

Haemoglobin is present in everyone’s red blood cell (the Hb of HbA1c), this is what makes your blood red. Glucose sticks to red blood cells and the more glucose there is around them the more diabetic you are said to be. Red blood cells to which glucose is attached is called glycosylated haemaglobin. The average life span of a red blood cell is 120 days. Therefore, if we measure how many red blood cells have glucose attached to them, it gives us a guide to the glucose levels in your blood over the last 120 days. The percentage of glycosylated haemoglobin in the blood reflects the average blood sugar.

The HbA1c measures can vary a little bit between laboratories but the normal (non diabetic) value is 4.0-5.9%. This value can go up to 6.5 % but conservatives would rather you keep this at or below 5.9 %. This means that approximately up to 5.9% red cells out of every 100 in your blood will have glucose attached to them.

HbA1c

Interpretation

4.0-5.9%

Normal for those with or without diabetes

6.0-6.9%

Good control for those with diabetes

7.0-7.9%

Fair control for diabetics

Greater than 8.0%

Uncontrolled diabetes

Interpreting the results of the test is quite simple. The result is given as a percentage. For non-diabetics and those keeping extremely good control of their diabetes, it is between 4.0 and 5.9. Between 6.0 and 6.9, there is good control; between 7 and 8 there is fair control and greater than 8 is to be considered as uncontrolled diabetics.

To ensure that you and your family stay clear of diabetes, I would strongly recommend that all adults take this test called the glycoslated haemaglobin test called also the HbA1c test. All that you need to do is just walk into any good medical lab and give some blood for the test to be done. You cannot plead lack of time since this does not require you to be on fast and can be done anytime. If you fix up beforehand with the lab, it takes exactly five minutes.

Since this test gives you an indication of the sugar in your system over the last three months, this is a better indicator than just taking a reading of fasting sugar. This test also has the advantage that it can be taken at any time irrespective of your immediate food intake.

Depending on what the results show, you can decide on whether you will consult a vaidyar at once or whether you will change your lifestyle by introducing gentle exercise, cutting out sugar, and eating less of carbohydrates. However, I would recommend that you do the HbA1c test every three months or more frequently to keep an eye on the sugar levels in your blood and take steps to prevent and or control diabetes. Try and keep your reading below 5.5 to stay clear of diabetes.

--- The writer was earlier Health Secretary, Govt. of Tamil Nadu and is currently CMD, TN Industrial Investment Corporation. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail.com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra.blogspot.com/