The prevalence of diabetes in Malaysia is on the rise, with 1 in 5 Malaysian adults suffering from diabetes, or nearly 3.9 million people with diabetes.
According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey, the proportion of adults with diabetes in our country soared from 11.2% in 2011 to 13.4% in 2015 and 18.3% in 2019.
Worryingly, about half of all diabetics in our country are unaware that they have the disease and uncontrolled high blood sugar levels will increase the risk of multiple complications involving the heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves, and other organs.
Although Malaysia has the highest incidence of diabetes in Asia, almost half of Malaysians do not know they have diabetes! In fact, if you want to know whether you are suffering from diabetes, testing blood sugar is the most important clue to detect diabetes.
People can buy a blood glucose meter and test it at home. Blood sugar refers to the glucose in the blood. Usually, the concentration of fasting blood glucose is maintained between 3.9 and 6.1 mmol/L. If the blood sugar concentration is too low (less than 3.3mmol/L), people are prone to hypoglycemia symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, and palpitations; the blood sugar concentration is too high (higher than 7.8mmol/L on an empty stomach), especially long-term hyperglycemia is prone to diabetes.
