According to Health Minister, the percentage of Malaysians with diabetes is increasing year on year, from 11.2% in 2011 to 13.4% in 2015 and 18.3% in 2019. A total of 3.9 million Malaysians are living with diabetes.
However, about half of these people do not know that they have diabetes. We urge the public to have regular medical check-ups, especially those who are getting older and have a family history of diabetes.
Diabetes, coupled with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, can also lead to heart disease. 8.1% or 1.7 million Malaysian adults have both diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. 3.4 million people have two of these diseases.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that is not obvious or easily detected in its initial stages. The disease is characterised by sudden weight loss, frequent urination and a persistent feeling of thirst.
Many people do not consume sweets but often drink drinks with high sugar content, which causes them to unintentionally consume too much sugar.
Not only do we need to reduce our sugar intake, but the Department of Health also encourages people to do more exercise, such as walking 10,000 steps a day, running, hiking and cycling. This will reduce the risk of diabetes.
To know if you have diabetes, you can look for eight symptoms: frequent urination, thirst, easy fatigue, frequent hunger, blurred vision, difficulty healing wounds, weight loss and tingling, pain or numbness in your hands and feet.
