UIN Jakarta Expert Emphasizes Diabetes Patients Can Be Controlled and Live Healthy

UIN Online News - Starting now, the community must begin to be vigilant about diabetes. This is because, according to data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Indonesia ranked fifth in the world as the country with the highest number of diabetes sufferers in 2014.

This statement was made by Prof. Dr. Hari Hendarto, Sp.PD-KEMD, MARS, PhD, at the Faculty of Medicine (FK) UIN Jakarta webinar on Saturday (4/5/2024). The webinar, themed "Comprehensive Discussion on Diabetes Mellitus: Is It Dangerous?", was attended by UIN and the general public.

According to him, the education conducted by FK UIN Jakarta is very important. The reason is that such educational activities are efforts to prevent diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease that currently cannot be cured but can be controlled.

This lecturer from the Department of Internal Medicine at FK UIN Jakarta explains that every six seconds, one person with diabetes in the world dies. Then, in 2016, for every eleven adults, one had diabetes. In 2040, it is estimated that one in ten adults will have diabetes.

"According to the data, 50 percent of diabetes patients are unaware that they have diabetes," he said in his presentation.

Continuing his presentation, he explains that a person can get diabetes because their insulin is reduced or present but not functioning properly. To illustrate, insulin is like a door, and if the key works well, something (sugar) can exit properly and become energy. If it doesn't work, sugar will accumulate in the blood.

Moreover, he also explains the symptoms of someone with diabetes, including always feeling hungry, feeling weak, eating a lot, losing weight due to calories not being able to enter cells but leaving through urine, causing frequent urination, and finally, excessive thirst.

Diabetes Examination Methods

Not only that, he explains that there are three methods of diabetes examination. First, Fasting blood sugar test, by checking blood sugar after fasting for 8 to 10 hours. Second, Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), by checking blood sugar 2 hours after drinking a 75-gram sugar solution.

"The last method, which he considers the most accurate, is to check HbA1C. The method is to check the average blood sugar for the last three months," he explains.

In efforts to overcome diabetes, Professor Hari explains that 80 percent of diabetes complications can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle and well-controlled blood sugar.

"Although it cannot be cured, it can be controlled with education, healthy diet, regular exercise, appropriate medications, and regular check-ups," he said.

Prevention of Diabetes

He explains several prevention methods in detail. First, educational classes can be conducted through seminars, consultations with experts, and reading books or the internet. Second, regular exercise three times a week, adequate rest, and avoiding smoking.

Third, a healthy diet by paying attention to nutritional intake, the amount of food, types of food, and meal schedules. Lastly, consuming appropriate medications and undergoing regular treatment such as using insulin.

Here is the recording of the FK webinar on the UIN Jakarta Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/EjHXOcyPBGI?si=oGtjCpeqFpvT9HaD 

(Muhammad Naufal Waliyyuddin/ Fauziah M./ Faadhila Idris).