More than half of patients are ignoring diabetes. The complication caused by diabetes needs our attention
According to the announcement by the China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the mortality rate of COVID-19 in diabetic patients (7.8%) was three times higher than the overall average (2.3%). Comparing the statistics worldwide, COVID-19 infections among diabetic patients are more than 2 times higher than average population. In Korea, 46% of COVID-19 deaths are reported having suffered from endocrine disfunctions such as diabetes, thus diabetes have attracted increasing amount of attention recently.
Q. Park Bo-hyun, CEO of B&H Korea (hereinafter referred to as Park Bo-hyun): Could you please introduce the Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital?
A. CEO, Ko Kyung-soo of Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital (hereinafter referred to as Ko Kyung-soo): Ever since my school days, I have been fascinated by endocrinology which led me to walk the path of internal medicine. In the past, as the number of diabetic patients was not high, it was manageable for the department. However, the numbers are growing with fascinating speed nowadays. The number of diabetic patients in Korea exceeded 3 million in 2018 and reached 3.2 million in 2019. By the first half of this year, 2.86 million patients visited the hospital.
Diabetes management itself has achieved remarkable growth thanks to standardized treatment, but the improvement in abilities to control blood sugar levels is still insufficient, and it is a major area being studied by medical professionals. Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital is situated in Nowon-gu, and was a barren environment back in 1989. Now it became a protector of people’s health and wellbeing in the region through 12 specialized medical centers including emergency center, infectious diseases, and disaster handling, diabetes, and high blood pressure treatments.
Q. Park Bo-hyun: Diabetes is known as an immune-compromised underlying disease that is vulnerable to Covid 19 virus. Even though it is a very common disease, more than half of the patients in Korea are not aware that they are diabetic. What are the diseases caused by different types of diabetes, and what are the risks of having to neglect diabetes for a long time?
A. Ko Kyung-soo: The typical symptoms of diabetes are frequent urination due to increased urine volume, constantly seeking water because of increased thirst, and losing weight while eating well. However, these symptoms can be felt differently depending on each patient, so it is difficult to identify diabetes with symptoms. Blood sugar levels must be measured to diagnose diabetes.
Diabetes is largely divided into type 1 and type 2 and gestational diabetes, which is found after the second trimester of pregnancy. Most of the diabetics we see around us are type 2 diabetes, so when we talk about diabetes, we usually refer to type 2.
If the diagnosis of diabetes is delayed or treatment is neglected, the body’s exposure to high blood sugar will increase. If severe hyperglycemia suddenly appears, the risk of acute hyperglycemia complications increases, where individuals might experience symptoms such as blurred vision and loss of consciousness. In addition, chronic complications are typical results of retinal and kidney complications that cause blindness or chronic renal failure in severe cases, and diabetes is the main factor in the occurrence of arteriosclerosis such as stroke, angina, and myocardial infarction.
Q. Park Bo-hyun: Diabetes causes various complications. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 85% of diabetics are in their 50s or older, but diabetes among young people has also increased sharply, with the incidence of people in their 20s increasing by 51.4% in the past five years. I wonder about the cause of diabetes.
A. Ko Kyung-soo: The exact cause of diabetes is yet to be known, but it is thought that various environmental factors encountered during the lifetime while having a genetic predisposition to diabetes are at play. Of course, the genetic factors will not change quickly, but the explosive increase in diabetes over the past 30 to 40 years shows that environmental factors such as excessive calories and lack of exercise caused by Korean’s improved wealth and consumption are the main drivers. Although the number of young patients may be on the rise with the increase of the overall number of diabetic patients, it is not an issue to be ignored that many diabetics went through a so-called "pre-diabetes stage" in their youth, where many neglected treatments and failed to manage, which resulted in confirmed diabetic cases later on in their lives.
Q. Is drug therapy like insulin the only way to control diabetes?
A. Ko Kyung-soo: The overall framework of treatments for diabetes has not changed. There are injections of insulin and hypoglycemic drugs intakes. Since the 1990s, the development of various types of insulin or consumable drugs has overcome many inconveniences when treating high blood sugar. The important thing is not whether to use drugs or what drugs to use, but how to minimize your exposure to high blood sugar.
Q. Park Bo-hyun: As winter is around the corner, what are some tips for preventing and managing diabetes or high blood pressure in cold weather?
A. Kyung-soo Ko: Blood sugar levels are not affected by outside temperature. However, in winter, our activity level decreases as we stay indoors, so normally the number of calories spent is less than calory intake, which results in weight gain, which is likely to increase blood sugar. Therefore, exercise in winter is essential, and excessive intake of food or snacks should be avoided.
One of the common misunderstandings is that blood sugar level goes up because you can't exercise, but blood sugar level increase when you eat something. As most snacks raise blood sugar instantly, they are the main reasons for making it difficult to control blood sugar, even when there is no weight gain. You can eat enough of your meals regardless of the kind, but in the case, you limit your intake of snacks but still gain weight due to reduced activity, you should reduce your food intake in order to maintain healthily
Q. Park Bo-hyun: Lastly, please say a few words about your personal goal or to those who visit the hospital.
A. Kyung-soo Ko: Most of the patients I treat are elderly people, and many have difficulty even coming to the hospital alone. There are many who held my hands tightly when they leave, telling me that they can't promise to make it to our appointment next time. I always ask them to eat well and come, though always makes my heart heavy. For diabetic patients, figuring out how to individualize treatment is a personal mission as a clinical doctor, and I believe we should at least try and address the problem, even just for a little bit.
In addition, as the head of the hospital, I will create an environment where all patients who visit the hospital can receive the best treatment, comfortably and safely, even beyond the presence of Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital built in the community.
A. CEO, Ko Kyung-soo of Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital (hereinafter referred to as Ko Kyung-soo): Ever since my school days, I have been fascinated by endocrinology which led me to walk the path of internal medicine. In the past, as the number of diabetic patients was not high, it was manageable for the department. However, the numbers are growing with fascinating speed nowadays. The number of diabetic patients in Korea exceeded 3 million in 2018 and reached 3.2 million in 2019. By the first half of this year, 2.86 million patients visited the hospital.
Diabetes management itself has achieved remarkable growth thanks to standardized treatment, but the improvement in abilities to control blood sugar levels is still insufficient, and it is a major area being studied by medical professionals. Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital is situated in Nowon-gu, and was a barren environment back in 1989. Now it became a protector of people’s health and wellbeing in the region through 12 specialized medical centers including emergency center, infectious diseases, and disaster handling, diabetes, and high blood pressure treatments.
Q. Park Bo-hyun: Diabetes is known as an immune-compromised underlying disease that is vulnerable to Covid 19 virus. Even though it is a very common disease, more than half of the patients in Korea are not aware that they are diabetic. What are the diseases caused by different types of diabetes, and what are the risks of having to neglect diabetes for a long time?
A. Ko Kyung-soo: The typical symptoms of diabetes are frequent urination due to increased urine volume, constantly seeking water because of increased thirst, and losing weight while eating well. However, these symptoms can be felt differently depending on each patient, so it is difficult to identify diabetes with symptoms. Blood sugar levels must be measured to diagnose diabetes.
Diabetes is largely divided into type 1 and type 2 and gestational diabetes, which is found after the second trimester of pregnancy. Most of the diabetics we see around us are type 2 diabetes, so when we talk about diabetes, we usually refer to type 2.
If the diagnosis of diabetes is delayed or treatment is neglected, the body’s exposure to high blood sugar will increase. If severe hyperglycemia suddenly appears, the risk of acute hyperglycemia complications increases, where individuals might experience symptoms such as blurred vision and loss of consciousness. In addition, chronic complications are typical results of retinal and kidney complications that cause blindness or chronic renal failure in severe cases, and diabetes is the main factor in the occurrence of arteriosclerosis such as stroke, angina, and myocardial infarction.
Q. Park Bo-hyun: Diabetes causes various complications. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 85% of diabetics are in their 50s or older, but diabetes among young people has also increased sharply, with the incidence of people in their 20s increasing by 51.4% in the past five years. I wonder about the cause of diabetes.
A. Ko Kyung-soo: The exact cause of diabetes is yet to be known, but it is thought that various environmental factors encountered during the lifetime while having a genetic predisposition to diabetes are at play. Of course, the genetic factors will not change quickly, but the explosive increase in diabetes over the past 30 to 40 years shows that environmental factors such as excessive calories and lack of exercise caused by Korean’s improved wealth and consumption are the main drivers. Although the number of young patients may be on the rise with the increase of the overall number of diabetic patients, it is not an issue to be ignored that many diabetics went through a so-called "pre-diabetes stage" in their youth, where many neglected treatments and failed to manage, which resulted in confirmed diabetic cases later on in their lives.
Q. Is drug therapy like insulin the only way to control diabetes?
A. Ko Kyung-soo: The overall framework of treatments for diabetes has not changed. There are injections of insulin and hypoglycemic drugs intakes. Since the 1990s, the development of various types of insulin or consumable drugs has overcome many inconveniences when treating high blood sugar. The important thing is not whether to use drugs or what drugs to use, but how to minimize your exposure to high blood sugar.
Q. Park Bo-hyun: As winter is around the corner, what are some tips for preventing and managing diabetes or high blood pressure in cold weather?
A. Kyung-soo Ko: Blood sugar levels are not affected by outside temperature. However, in winter, our activity level decreases as we stay indoors, so normally the number of calories spent is less than calory intake, which results in weight gain, which is likely to increase blood sugar. Therefore, exercise in winter is essential, and excessive intake of food or snacks should be avoided.
One of the common misunderstandings is that blood sugar level goes up because you can't exercise, but blood sugar level increase when you eat something. As most snacks raise blood sugar instantly, they are the main reasons for making it difficult to control blood sugar, even when there is no weight gain. You can eat enough of your meals regardless of the kind, but in the case, you limit your intake of snacks but still gain weight due to reduced activity, you should reduce your food intake in order to maintain healthily
Q. Park Bo-hyun: Lastly, please say a few words about your personal goal or to those who visit the hospital.
A. Kyung-soo Ko: Most of the patients I treat are elderly people, and many have difficulty even coming to the hospital alone. There are many who held my hands tightly when they leave, telling me that they can't promise to make it to our appointment next time. I always ask them to eat well and come, though always makes my heart heavy. For diabetic patients, figuring out how to individualize treatment is a personal mission as a clinical doctor, and I believe we should at least try and address the problem, even just for a little bit.
In addition, as the head of the hospital, I will create an environment where all patients who visit the hospital can receive the best treatment, comfortably and safely, even beyond the presence of Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital built in the community.
#KMedicalInterview #HealthInformation #MedicalInformation #Diabetes #HighBloodPressure #Type2Diabetes #ChronicDiabetes #PregnantDiabetes #HighGlycemia #ChronicComplications #DiabetesTreatment #DiabetesCause
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CEO 박보현
메디컬 커머셜 플랫폼, 메디우스 (주)비앤에이치코리아 대표이사
국내최고 디지털마케팅 전문가
[월간 CEO&] 의료전문 컬럼니스트
인터뷰 문의:sales@bnhkorea.co.kr
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