South Africans are being urged to rethink the way they view diabetes, as medical experts warn the disease is tightening its grip on younger people.
Friday is World Diabetes Day, with the World Health Organisation’s focus this year on “Diabetes across Life Stages”, a reminder that the condition touches children, adults and the elderly.
“Diabetes is not just an old person’s disease — it is everyone’s concern,” said Dr Vinesh Padayachy, vascular surgeon at Lenmed eThekwini Hospital and Heart Centre, who sees the consequences of poorly managed diabetes daily.
“This year’s theme is an important reminder that diabetes spares no-one. In my practice I see patients from all walks of life, young and old, affected by the serious complications of diabetes. It is no longer a disease of ‘old age’. I regularly treat younger patients, sometimes in their 30s or 40s, with advanced peripheral arterial disease, severe infections or chronic wounds that threaten their limbs and lives.”
Padayachy said diabetes silently damages blood vessels over time, leading to devastating complications.
“The reality is that diabetes affects the body’s blood vessels over time, leading to poor circulation, kidney failure and a much higher risk of amputation. Many of the surgeries I perform, such as creating dialysis access for renal failure patients, treating blocked arteries or managing diabetic foot complications, are the end result of years of poorly controlled diabetes.”
In South Africa we need to strengthen awareness in schools and improve access to primary health care and community screening programmes that identify people at risk before complications arise. With early detection and consistent management we can save limbs, save kidneys and most importantly save lives
— Dr Vinesh Padayachy, vascular surgeon
What worries him most is that many people still overlook early symptoms, assuming the disease is only serious later in life.
“Early screening, lifestyle modification and consistent control of blood sugar can prevent most of these complications.”
South Africa’s growing diabetes burden has been documented for years, but specialists say awareness remains far behind where it should be, especially among young adults and parents.
“In South Africa we need to strengthen awareness in schools and improve access to primary health care and community screening programmes that identify people at risk before complications arise. With early detection and consistent management we can save limbs, save kidneys and most importantly save lives,” added Padayachy.
According to Lizeth Kruger, Dis-Chem Clinic executive, all too often patients are not aware of the direct correlation between non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension and heart failure.
“While World Diabetes Day highlights the importance of managing blood sugar levels, it’s equally vital to understand the broader impact of diabetes on heart health. These diseases are diagnosed, treated and managed daily, yet awareness of how they contribute to serious complications such as heart failure remains low,” she said.
Daily diabetes care, especially keeping blood sugar in check, can take up a lot of attention and make long-term heart risks easy to overlook. If you already have heart disease, your risk is higher if you also have conditions such as high blood pressure or obesity
— Lizeth Kruger, Dis-Chem Clinic executive
Diabetes significantly increases the risk of heart disease because consistently high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels and nerves, leading to a condition called atherosclerosis, where plaque builds up in arteries. This leads to reduced blood flow, which can cause coronary artery disease, heart attacks and heart failure.
High blood sugar from diabetes causes hidden damage. Over time it can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control the heart, and the progression of heart disease can go unnoticed because the damage doesn’t typically have visible symptoms in its early stages. Nerve damage from diabetes can mask heart attack symptoms, causing them to go undetected or be mistaken for other issues.
“People with diabetes may experience heart problems that don’t feel like the typical chest pain; they might notice unexplained fatigue, shortness of breath or dizziness,” said Kruger.
“Many factors that raise the risk of heart disease, such as high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol, also occur with diabetes, so it can be hard to separate diabetes’ exact role.
“Daily diabetes care, especially keeping blood sugar in check, can take up a lot of attention and make long-term heart risks easy to overlook. If you already have heart disease, your risk is higher if you also have conditions such as high blood pressure or obesity.
“People often don’t correlate diabetes and heart disease because the connection isn’t always obvious, though they are closely linked.”
TimesLIVE
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