Diabetes Cases Rising in Latvia
On World Diabetes Day, 14 November, health professionals pointed to a growing number of diabetes cases in Latvia. Last year the country had 106,000 patients, 2.1% more than a year earlier.
The number of people with diabetes in Latvia continues to grow, medical specialists said on World Diabetes Day, 14 November. They named an unhealthy lifestyle as the main cause. Early detection is crucial, so people are advised to check their blood glucose levels regularly.
On the day, specialists at several shopping centres in Riga and at the Agenskalns Market offered free blood glucose tests and advice on the risks linked to the disease.
Figures and causes
Last year Latvia had 106,000 diabetes patients, 2.1% more than the year before. More than 530 people died last year from complications caused by diabetes. Most patients have type 2 diabetes, which is largely tied to lifestyle: excess weight and obesity resulting from unhealthy everyday habits.
Late diagnosis
Diabetes is often diagnosed late because it can be symptom-free in its early stages. Indra Stelmane, an endocrinologist and president of the Latvian Diabetes Federation, explained that a person can live for years with elevated blood sugar, which leads to complications. According to her, in 40–45% of cases diabetes is diagnosed only when the patient is hospitalised because of complications, most often a heart attack or stroke.
Children and young people
Type 2 diabetes used to affect mainly adults aged 35–40 and older, but over the past twenty years it has increasingly appeared in children worldwide. Landa Jaunzeme, head of the Latvian Association of Child and Youth Diabetes, said 25% of children, or one in four, are overweight, and that endocrinology practice has already recorded type 2 diabetes in a seven-year-old.
However, most children and young people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease unrelated to diet or lifestyle. In Latvia it is found in 50–100 children every year. Blood sugar should be checked if a child begins drinking more, urinating often, losing weight rapidly, or seems unusually tired or sleepy. As a preventive measure, a yearly check is recommended even without symptoms.
