By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Many people might not find having sugar in their urine strange or dangerous. In fact, few people die of ``diabetes'' itself. However, when combined with other diseases, complications can easily affect all parts of the body ― from the eyes to the legs and brain.
Dr. Son Ho-young of the Catholic University St. Mary's Hospital warns that the disease will soon affect nearly half of the country's population since it is growing at dramatic speed. ``Just forty years ago, the number of those suffering from the disease were less than half a million. But in just four decades the figure has jumped to four million,'' he says.
He went on to warn ``The disease will become the most diagnosed one. Also, it could become the No.1 cause of death by then since it could worsen cancer and many other fatal diseases.''
Diabetes is a syndrome of disordered metabolism resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels. The two most common forms of diabetes are type 1 which involves a diminished production of insulin or type 2, which is a diminished response by the body to insulin.
People with diabetes tend to urinate a lot, which leads to thirst, weight-loss, and lethargy.
These days the number of type 2 diabetes patients in Asia is increasing at a rapid speed ― it has grown more than five-fold in Korea in just thirty years, while Western countries saw 1.5 times growth. Additionally, the age bracket of those being diagnosed is dropping ― approximately 6 percent of people in their thirties are being diagnosed with it.
``We assume Asian people to be more vulnerable to the disease because they tend to secrete less insulin and have less muscle tissue than other ethnic groups, though they are generally slimmer,'' he says.
The range of diabetes complications is wider than other diseases and the outcome is often much more serious.
Genetics is the only confirmed risk factor for the disease so far, but experts assume environment to be important, too.
Those with a family history of the disease should be careful of their blood sugar level since Son assumes 10 percent of those with potential diabetes actually get it. ``Many people think eating a high sugar diet could lead ordinary people to get the disease, but we need a certain amount in our lives. However, potential sufferers must be careful. Sweets and fat could be fatal for them,'' he says.
Treatment for each type of diabetes is different. Type 1 is treated only by injection of insulin. Type 2 can be dealt with by a combination of dietary treatment, tablets and insulin injections.
These days, an insulin pump is widely used for those seriously at risk. It is a device to provide subcutaneous insulin through a temporary catheter. ``It is not a super nanny that provides insulin at the right time. The patient must watch over the timing and designate the amount. The machine provides the exact amount,'' Son says.
In drastic cases related to renal failure, the disease requires surgery. ``Though the operation succeeds, one usually needs kidney dialysis forever,'' he says.
Therefore, the nation's top authority on the disease stresses the importance of early diagnosis. He says if patients are diagnosed in the early stages, watching over foods could control the disease and prevent complications. ``I don't think humans can yet conquer the disease. However, it could be controllable through constant observation,'' he says.
Korea lags behind other developed nations in diabetes studies. This reflects the lack of basic research, but the country is catching up.
Son says the direct relationship between renal disease and diabetes will be verified and treatment improved. He also expects the exact path of the disease occurrence and its treatment to be further investigated in the future. At the moment, he is working on the exact form of diabetes affecting Koreans and the mechanism behind it.
``In 2004, 35 out of every 100,000 died because of diabetes complications,'' he said. This was the largest number among the members of Organization for Economic Corporation Development (OECD).
``Also, 3.2 trillion won ($3 billion) was spent in 2003 to deal with the disease, taking up 19.3 percent of National Health Insurance expenditure. Given some patients cannot work because of their disease, the economic loss diabetes is bringing to the country is huge,'' he said. He stressed the importance of public awareness leading to early diagnosis and self-monitoring.
Son is famous for giving out detailed information to individual patients. Following his belief that diabetes is a disease of life, he gives lifestyle advice and consults with patients regularly.
Son graduated from Catholic University and has worked in numerous positions, such as president of The Korean Academy of Nutritional Medicine and the chief director of the Korean Diabetes Association.
He is a member of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and the American Diabetes Association.