Coronavirus Is Dangerous For Diabetics

For many people in India, especially those in the older age groups, diabetes is a lifestyle condition that they live with on a daily basis. However, diabetes is becoming more common in younger age groups as well, raising issues of public health. After China, India is the country with the second-highest prevalence of diabetes, with an estimated 77 million individuals - or roughly 1 in 11 Indians - having the disease. Pre-diabetes is a condition or stage that precedes diabetes, where the body's blood sugar levels are elevated but not yet high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. The National Urban Diabetes Survey estimates that our nation has a startling 14 per cent prevalence of pre-diabetes, commonly known as borderline diabetes. Due to the absence or minimal visibility of symptoms, many people in their 30s and 40s may be pre-diabetic without even being aware of it. If diabetes runs in your family, you are at an increased risk of developing it yourself. Nevertheless, by making dietary and lifestyle changes, pre-diabetes may still be somewhat reversed and treated. Here are some precautions and tips one can be mindful of to stay healthy as a pre-diabetic: Move About More Sitting is the new smoking. A sedentary lifestyle is known to increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Regular exercise and workouts approved by a trainer or doctor help manage pre-diabetes by lowering blood glucose levels. Moreover, being active can improve insulin sensitivity throughout the body. It can also help you manage your weight which is crucial to not slip into diabetes. Try brisk walks, jogs, and runs and gradually move to more aerobic exercises such as dance and biking/bicyling. Weight Management Did you know that being overweight, or having a body mass index over 25, can increase one's risk of developing type 2 diabetes? If you are diagnosed for pre-diabetes, gradually losing 5-10 per cent of your body weight can significantly improve your chances of delaying or reversing diabetes prevalence. Ask a trainer to help you focus on your midsection for belly fat, as a large waist circumference is known to put a person at an increased risk of diabetes. Keep Stress at Bay Stress can make you sick, but it can also make you pre-diabetic, or at least make your condition worse. An imbalance of stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline - known for the fight or flight response - can trigger blood glucose levels to shoot up and remain high. Make time for adequate rejuvenation on your schedule, and make sure to not pressure yourself to work like a machine. Make time for laughter and time with friends and family. Schedule time for walks, gardening or other hobbies that help you decompress. Watch What's on Your Plate Consider the composition of your meals. Is there an adequate balance between protein, carbohydrates, fats and necessary vitamins and minerals? For a healthy portion, pre-diabetics should fill half of their plate with non-starchy vegetables and leafy greens, and the rest with healthy carbohydrates, whole grains and lean protein. Stocking up on fibre will ensure satiety without raising blood sugar. Snack on nuts and fruit, even if they seem to be sugary. One must remember they have natural sugar. Avoid Drinking Your Sugar Added sugars must be avoided at all costs to avoid escalation into diabetes. Sweetened beverages can spike blood sugar levels and provide little nutritional diversity, such as protein. This includes energy drinks, soft drinks and any syrups or liquid desserts. Research says that substituting one daily serving of a sugary drink with low-calorie alternatives such as water, coffee, or tea is linked with a 2-10 per cent lower risk of diabetes. (Dr Vivek Srivastava, Senior Vice President, Zeon Lifesciences)  

One of the country's busiest seasons, Navratri also brings with it a tradition of fasting and feasting. In addition to fasting on nine auspicious nights, many mouthwatering dishes are also cooked, including sabudana khichdi, fruit chaat, and kheer to kuttu ki poori and aloo kadhi. Adults are advised to fast occasionally as it gives their digestive systems a break and aids in the body's detoxification process. However, if necessary precautions are not followed regarding the type of foods consumed, particularly if the person has diabetes, fasting and consuming a restricted diet for 9 to 10 days consistently can endanger one's health. Dr Sunil M Jain, Endocrinologist, TOTALL Diabetes Hormone Insitute, Indoresays, "Diabetes management during Navratri fasting is important owing to the change in food patterns, nature of the fast, and the food items allowed. People with diabetes must eat at regular intervals to maintain optimum blood glucose levels and consume foods, which have a low glycemic index, before beginning the fast. It is key to check blood glucose levels a few times during the day. Today, there are continuous glucose monitoring devices that are easily accessible and do not involve any pricks. These devices show real-time glucose results and a directional trend arrow showing where glucose levels are headed, that help make informed dietary decisions by the person." Here are some suggestions for navigating the holidays without jeopardising your health, even if managing diabetes is more difficult when fasting is followed by a feast. Eat The Right Foods Due to the dietary restrictions and altered food patterns, it is possible that blood sugar levels could fluctuate. Therefore, it is important to talk to your doctor about your plan for fasting, which should include the number of fasting days, eating frequency and timings, and foods that can be consumed, as that will help regulate glucose fluctuations and boost overall health. One can opt for foods rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, protein, and fiber, which facilitate in controlling blood glucose levels. Consumption of roasted makhana, nuts, and pumpkin cutlets can make for good snackable satiety during fasting, as they also meet protein requirements. Additionally, vitamin C and fiber-rich fruits such as orange and kiwi are good for consumption as they help manage the insulin fluctuations in the body. Keep Track of Your Counts Knowing when to check your blood glucose levels during fasting is key. Keeping a home glucose monitoring system will help you track your glucose levels from time to time. Today there are sensor-based devices such as Freestyle Libre, that provide actionable trends and patterns that help you make better decisions about your health. It is also important to monitor glucose levels during fasting, to ensure you avoid a hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia attack. Maintain Hydration Dehydration during fasting is troublesome for those with diabetes. Consumption of at least 2 to 3 liters of water is a must while fasting. Buttermilk without salt and low-calorie drinks like nimbu pani, green tea, mint water, cardamom tea, smoothies, and coconut water can help combat dehydration during Navratri. It is better to have fruits like apples in the smoothie instead of bananas. You can also add 2 tsp of flaxseeds and chia seeds to your smoothie as they help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and diabetes complications. Exercising People with diabetes can exercise during fasting, however, it needs to be done at a low pace. It is important to not strain yourself during this time. One can go for short walks and include stretching exercises in their routine. You can also ditch the exercises during Navratri and enjoy yourself to the tunes of Garba. Eating an hour before Garba will not make you feel heavy during the dance and will also ensure that you are not low on energy. For people with diabetes, having a combination of proteins and the right carbohydrates keeps you going for a long period. You can opt for a dry fruit milkshake or a buckwheat pancake with some cottage cheese cubes in such cases. Read More► How to Deal With Itchy Eyes?

न्यूयॉर्क: एक अध्ययन के अनुसार, सार्स-सीओवी-2 वायरस से गर्भवती महिलाओं को गहन देखभाल यूनिट (आईसीयू) में भर्ती होने का खतरा दोगुना हो जाता है। क्लिनिकल इंफेक्शियस डिजीज जर्नल में प्रकाशित अध्ययन से पता चला है कि कोविड से पीड़ित गर्भवती महिलाओं में उन लोगों की तुलना में अस्पताल में मरने का जोखिम चार गुना था, जिन्हें संक्रामक रोग नहीं था। अमेरिका में मैरीलैंड विश्वविद्यालय के शोधकर्ताओं ने कहा, निष्कर्ष बताते हैं कि जो महिलाएं गर्भवती हैं या गर्भवती हो सकती हैं, उन्हें कोविड -19 से बचना चाहिए और उपलब्ध टीकों के साथ जितना हो सके अपनी रक्षा करनी चाहिए। नादिया सैम-अगुडु, विश्वविद्यालय के स्कूल ऑफ मेडिसिन में बाल रोग के एसोसिएट प्रोफेसर ने कहा, "अगर मां अच्छा नहीं करती है, तो बच्चा भी अच्छा नहीं करता है। चूंकि हमारे पास अभी तक छह महीने से कम उम्र के बच्चों के लिए टीका नहीं है, इसलिए गर्भवती महिलाओं को अपने अजन्मे बच्चों और नवजात शिशुओं की सुरक्षा के लिए टीका लगवाना चाहिए।" सैम-अगुडु ने कहा कि, वर्तमान में उपलब्ध साक्ष्य से पता चलता है कि गर्भावस्था में उपयोग के लिए संकेतित कोविड -19 टीके सुरक्षित हैं, और उभरते हुए आंकड़े बताते हैं कि वे नवजात शिशुओं के साथ-साथ माताओं को भी सुरक्षा प्रदान करते हैं। अध्ययन, छह अफ्रीकी देशों - घाना, नाइजीरिया, कांगो लोकतांत्रिक गणराज्य, युगांडा, केन्या और दक्षिण अफ्रीका में अस्पताल में भर्ती 1,315 महिलाओं के आंकड़ों की जांच करता है - जिसमें कोविड के साथ 510 गर्भवती महिलाएं, कोविड के साथ 403 गैर-गर्भवती महिलाएं, और बिना कोविड के 402 गर्भवती महिलाएं। मधुमेह, एचआईवी, तपेदिक का इतिहास, या सिकल सेल रोग जैसे अन्य जोखिम वाले कारकों वाली महिलाओं को गंभीर कोविड के लिए अधिक जोखिम था। कोविद के बिना 16 प्रतिशत गर्भवती महिलाओं की तुलना में कोविड के साथ लगभग 32 प्रतिशत गर्भवती महिलाओं को अस्पताल में ऑक्सीजन थेरेपी की आवश्यकता होती है। कोविड के साथ गर्भवती महिलाओं में से 6 प्रतिशत की तुलना में कोविद के साथ लगभग 19 प्रतिशत गर्भवती महिलाओं को आईसीयू में भर्ती कराया गया था, जिन्हें कोविड नहीं था। कोविड के साथ अस्पताल में भर्ती महिलाओं में, गर्भवती नहीं होने वाली 5 प्रतिशत की तुलना में गर्भवती होने वाली 10 प्रतिशत महिलाओं की मृत्यु हो गई। (एजेंसी) यह भी पढ़े► कोविड रोगियों ने माना स्वस्थ्य होने में योग ने की मदद

New York: People hospitalised during the pandemic both for Covid and other conditions have a higher rate of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections compared to patients hospitalised before the pandemic, according to a study. An estimated 1.2 million people worldwide died in 2019 from antibiotic-resistant infections, and this number is predicted to increase ten-fold by 2050. There have been studies reporting that the pandemic was associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) secondary infections, possibly due to the increase in the use of antibiotics to treat Covid-19 patients and disruptions to infection prevention and control practices in overwhelmed health systems. The study, presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) being held in Portugal, evaluated the pandemic's impact on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in 271 hospitals across the US. The researchers assessed AMR rates per 100 hospital admissions before and during the Covid pandemic, and examined whether drug-resistant infections were acquired in the community-onset setting (defined as a culture collected less than two days after admission) or in the hospital-onset setting (more than two days after admission). In total, 1,789,458 patients were admitted to the hospital in the pre-pandemic period and 3,729,208 during the pandemic. The number of patients admitted to the hospital with at least one AMR infection was 63,263 in the pre-pandemic period and 129,410 during the pandemic. Patients who tested positive or negative for Covid had higher levels of AMR than patients before the pandemic, 4.92 per 100 admissions and 4.11 per 100 admissions, respectively. For hospital-associated infections, the AMR rate was 0.77 per 100 admissions before the pandemic and 0.86 per 100 admissions during the pandemic, and highest at 2.19 per 100 admissions in patients with Covid-19. When looking at community-onset infections, the AMR rate was 2.76 per 100 admissions in the pre-pandemic period, and 2.61 per 100 admissions during the pandemic. "These new data highlight the importance of closely monitoring the impact of Covid-19 on antimicrobial resistance rates, said Dr Karri Bauer from the US pharmaceutical company Merck. "It is particularly worrying that antibiotic resistance has been rising during the pandemic in both SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative patients. Hospital-acquired infections are a major concern, with antimicrobial resistance rates significantly higher during the pandemic than before," he added. (Agency) Read More► Omicron Ups Risk of Upper Airway Infections, Cardiac Arrest in Small Kids