Are you at risk of diabetes?

Do you have a family history of diabetes? Do you experience frequent hunger, thirst and urination? Do you have a sedentary lifestyle and don’t have time for exercise or other physical activities?

These are just some of the questions asked in a healthy lifestyle survey by Abbott Laboratories designed to assess the risks an individual faces of having diabetes, currently one of the world’s leading diseases which, if left untreated, could lead to more serious illnesses and even death.

While the questions appear deceptively simple, the repercussions of not knowing whether you are at risk or not are too great to ignore, says Dr. Bienvenido Tianco, medical director of Abbott Nutrition International.

"Today’s lifestyles make Filipinos increasingly susceptible to diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes which is prevalent among those who are 40 years and older," he says.

"That is why it is important to detect as early as possible whether an individual is at risk and if so, to make the necessary changes in their diets and lifestyles," he adds.

Aside from family history and sedentary lifestyle, Tianco advises individuals to check the healthy lifestyle survey to determine if you are at risk of diabetes:

• Do you experience drastic weight loss without trying to in the past month?

• Are you a mother who had given birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds?

• Are you 40 years old or older?

• Are you overweight or obese?

• Do you have high blood pressure?

• Do you have numb or tingling feet?

• Have you been previously identified as borderline or with high blood sugar?

• Are you usually tired for no apparent reason?

If you answered yes to only one of these questions, you are at low risk of having diabetes. If you answered yes to between two and four, you are at moderate risk and are advised to observe dietary and lifestyle changes.

However, if you answered yes to five or more of the questions, you are at high risk of having diabetes and are advised to immediately seek medical advice or consult a healthcare provider for prompt management.

For further information on diabetes and nutritional assessment, call Abbott’s diabetes hotline at 689-0444 in Metro Manila, or the national toll-free hotline at 1-800-108-433-427. Registered nutritionists-dietitians man these hotels from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.