[뉴스투데이=송대욱 전문기자] When you think of diabetes, the first thing that comes to mind is fat people. If the standard of being obese is a body mass index of 25 kg/m2 or more, then the majority of Korean diabetic patients are not obese. According to the results of a survey of the average BMI of diabetic patients, the average BMI in the United States was over 32kg/m2, but in Korea, the average was 24.7kg/m2, indicating a non-obese type. Compared to American diabetic patients, Korean diabetic patients can be said to be skinny diabetes.
There are people who have never been obese in their entire life and never even worried about diabetes. More than half of Korean diabetes mellitus are non-obese type diabetes, and there are many skinny types of diabetes. If you’re not worried about it and you’re diagnosed with diabetes, you’ll be even more embarrassed. Learn about the causes of dry diabetes and managing blood sugar.
The answer to the question whether less obese Koreans get diabetes than more obese Westerners lies in the pancreas and insulin. A study found that the size of the pancreas of Koreans was smaller than that of Westerners. It has been reported that Koreans have 12.3% smaller pancreas than Westerners, and that the pancreas’ ability to secrete insulin is 36.5% smaller.
Insulin’s main role is to store excess glucose in the blood as glycogen and fat in the body. When insulin secretion is low, the ability to store glucose decreases. When insulin is secreted, glucose in the blood moves to peripheral tissues and cells and is used first. If glucose remains even after consumption, it is stored in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscles, and the excess glucose is converted into fat in fat cells and stored.
As this process progresses, more insulin is needed. Also, the more fat accumulates in the fat cells, the more insulin is required. Koreans with small pancreas and low insulin secretion are less obese but more prone to diabetes. non-obese type 2 diabetes [당뇨엔 진심]It will be called ‘dry diabetes’.
Skinny diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas is less able to secrete insulin, so even a small amount of weight increases blood sugar. If the pancreas’ insulin secretion function is reduced due to overeating, overwork, and stress, the insulin required to maintain body weight cannot be met. Insulin secretion is relatively low, resulting in high blood sugar. Another cause of dry diabetes is aging. As we age, the pancreas declines, leading to diabetes despite low obesity.
There are certain things to be careful about in the treatment of dry diabetes. Skinny diabetes is more likely to require insulin, and diabetic nephropathy is more likely to result in dialysis. The reason is as follows. In the case of diabetes drugs that promote insulin secretion among diabetes drugs, in the case of ‘obese diabetes’, the risk of cardiovascular disease due to weight gain increases, so prescribe more carefully.
In the case of skinny diabetes, this type of medication can help you gain weight and control your blood sugar, so you can prescribe more insulin secretagogues. However, in people with weak pancreatic insulin secretion, insulin secretagogues produce the same phenomenon as squeezing insulin from the weak pancreas. Weak pancreas fatigues and ages faster.
If insulin cannot be produced even after squeezing, the amount of insulin secretion, which was relatively insufficient, becomes absolutely insufficient. The typical symptoms of diabetes are polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, and weight loss. Therefore, compared to diabetes, you will receive insulin in a faster period and the risk of complications will be greater.
In the case of skinny diabetes, you can try to lose weight like ‘diabetes becoming fat’, which is important for blood sugar control. Of course, weight loss should be approached gradually, little by little, and more carefully. Blood sugar control is important, but physical strength and health are more important, so think about it enough and lose weight.
It is important to find an appropriate weight, and if the weight falls below a certain level, fatigue increases, nerves become more sensitive, and digestion becomes weak. If you are weak and exhausted, you should proceed to the next level without losing weight. Gradually increase your body weight until you reach an optimal body weight with good physical strength and vitality. You should do exercises to increase muscle mass.
Glucose is stored in the form of glycogen in the muscles, and as muscle mass increases, this storage space becomes more free, making it easier to control blood sugar. Storing glucose in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen will consume less insulin. In addition, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise should be performed to prevent body fat from accumulating.
The reason why it is not possible to determine the blood sugar control for diabetes is that the only thing in common is that the blood sugar is high. This is the reason for the difference in blood sugar management between fat diabetes and lean diabetes. If you are skinny diabetes, you need a strategy to reduce body fat and increase muscle mass.
◀Song Daewook Profile▶ Kyung Hee Graduate School of Korean Medicine Doctor of Oriental Medicine / Director of Deoksoo Oriental Medicine Clinic / Director of Clinic Research Institute / MBTI Lecturer / Developer of SnCi Sasang constitution test strip / Full member of Sasang Medical Association / Full member of Korean Fermentation and Detoxification Society / Executive Director of Seongjeong Philosophy Association