Penza endocrinologist called the main signs of diabetes

The chief endocrinologist of the Penza region Catherine Knyazkina dispelled the myth that diabetes is inherited with fatal inevitability. According to her, only a predisposition passes from parents to children, which may never be realized.

The doctor stressed that diabetes of the first and second type are completely different diseases. In type 1 diabetes, immunity attacks pancreatic cells. If the father is sick, the risk for the child is 6-8%, if the mother is 2-4%. In most cases, children with sick parents never face this diagnosis. To trigger a disease, genetics alone is not enough, an external push is needed, such as a virus or stress.

Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease that accounts for 90–95% of cases. Here heredity plays a much more serious role: if one parent is sick, the risk for the child reaches 40%, if both - 70-80%. However, the right lifestyle can reduce this risk by more than half.

For prevention, it is enough to adhere to five rules: eat a balanced diet, give up sugary drinks, walk more (at least 150 minutes a week), lose an extra 5-7% of weight and adjust sleep. It is also important to monitor the waist, as visceral fat interferes with the absorption of insulin.

The main signs of the disease are thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, deterioration of vision and numbness of the limbs. But type 2 diabetes may not make itself felt for a long time, so after 40 years, it is important to check blood sugar levels annually. Healthy habits are the best defense against bad inheritance.