The symptoms of diabetes mellitus
The symptoms of diabetes mellitus can be either intense, such as polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, weight loss, or mild, such as easy fatigue or general weakness, blurred vision, balanoposthitis (in men), vulvovaginitis (in women). Regardless if the symptoms are mild, or if there are no symptoms, complications are caused in all of the organs of the human body: skin, blood vessels, heart, kidneys, brain, eyes (silent epidemic).
Rates in Greece and in Crete
- According to the Hellenic Diabetes Association, it is estimated that in Greece 8-9% of the population, that is 1,000,000 people, suffer from diabetes mellitus, while an additional 3-4% has not been diagnosed (asymptomatic disease).
- In Crete, it is estimated that the diabetes rate corresponds to 8% of the population. In absolute figures, 56,000 persons suffer from diabetes mellitus, while 21,000 persons suffer from the disease without having been diagnosed.
Who should be checked because they have a high risk to develop diabetes mellitus?
1. All the people >45 years old that are obese (ΒΜΙ >25)
2. People of younger age that are obese and have additional risk factors, such as:
• First degree relatives with diabetes mellitus.
• Sedentary lifestyle.
• Women that have given birth to children >4.5Kg, or had gestational diabetes mellitus.
• Hypertensive people (Blood Pressure >140/90 mmHg).
• Dyslipidemia with HDL<35 mg/dL or triglycerides >250 mg/dL.
• HDL <35 mg/dL or triglycerides >250 mg/dL.
• Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
• People that, in previous checks, presented impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG).
• People with a history of angiopathy.