According to a new study being alone is highly dangerous for diabetics. Extreme isolation has a bigger impact on them than depression, smoking, physical activity and diet.
The study from Tulane University says diabetics are more prone to cardiovascular disease as a result.
The research which was done among 18,509 individuals between 37 and 73 showed that the loneliest individuals had an 11 to 26% risk for cardiovascular disease.
“We also found that for patients with diabetes, the consequence of physical risk factors (ie poorly controlled blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and poor kidney function was greater in those who were lonely compared to those who were not.
“The findings suggest that asking patients with diabetes about loneliness should become part of standard assessment, with referral of those affected to mental health services.”
Lu Qi says that patients with diabetes really should consider joining a group or community with activities and classes and try to make more friends in order to avoid being alone. He stressed on the importance of finding people with shared interests.
According to the IDF Diabetes Atlas (2021), 10.5% of the adult population (20-79 years has diabetes), with almost half of this number being unaware that they have this condition. IDF projections also show that one in eight adults, which is some 783 million people, will be living with diabetes, an increase of 46%.
The chronic condition affects the body’s ability to process glucose and regulate blood sugar. The are two types of diabetes. Type 1 is where the body is unable to produce insulin and Type 2 (which is more common) is when the body can produce insulin but is not able to use it effectively.
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