Health experts recently urged the public to undergo regular screening for diabetes amid rising cases of the chronic disease which has already affected even younger individuals.
Endocrinologist Dr. Elaine Cunanan said those who are 35 years old and above should ideally take a fasting blood sugar test at least once a year to check for signs of diabetes, even if they are not exhibiting any symptoms.
“Before, [the ideal age] was 40,” said Cunanan, who is also the vice president of the Philippine College of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. “But we are seeing that [diabetes cases] are increasing and [patients] are getting younger.”
Citing data from the latest National Nutrition Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, she pointed out that 8.5 percent of Filipinos aged 20 and above were found to have diabetes in 2023, higher than the 8.1 percent recorded in 2018 to 2019.
Meanwhile, 23.6 percent were found to have borderline diabetes or pre-diabetes, which means that they are at risk of developing the disease in a span of two to three years if left unchecked.
Cunanan said that diabetes is actually the number 1 cause of non-traumatic blindness, or blindness that is not caused by an accident. It is also the number 1 cause of amputation that is not brought about by an accident.
She also noted that diabetes can lead to kidney disease, heart disease, and even nerve disease.
Aside from regular screening, the public was also advised to eat healthy food and exercise often, noting that obesity is often linked to diabetes.
Diabetes is dubbed a “silent killer” because it often develops slowly, causing significant vascular and organ damage before symptoms appear, with 1 in 5 people unaware they have it. It acts silently by damaging nerves and blood vessels, leading to heart disease, kidney failure, or blindness, often detected only during a major health event.
With more younger people being affected, our best weapon against diabetes is early detection, where taking a few minutes, once or twice a year, can add more quality years to our lives.*
