November 14 is the United Nations Diabetes Day. Diabetes is one of the chronic diseases that severely threatens the health of residents in our country and is also a risk factor for many diseases. How to identify diabetes early? What are the common misconceptions about diabetes? How to prevent diabetes? Let's hear what the experts have to say. Gao Bin, director of the Endocrinology Department at Tangdu Hospital of the Air Force Medical University, said that the typical symptoms of diabetes are "three more and one less," meaning eating more, drinking more, urinating more, and weight loss. There are also other atypical symptoms, such as fatigue and weakness, blurred vision, dry and itchy skin, and slow wound healing. However, many type 2 diabetes patients do not have obvious symptoms in the early stages. Therefore, regular physical examinations and proactive screening are crucial, especially for high-risk groups with a family history of diabetes, overweight and obesity, high-sugar and high-fat diets, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Is eating too much sugar going to cause diabetes? Gao Bin states that this is one of the most common misconceptions. Type 1 diabetes is caused by an absolute deficiency in insulin secretion, while the more common Type 2 diabetes is due to a combination of insulin resistance and insufficient insulin secretion. Long-term high-sugar diets may increase the risk of obesity and exacerbate pancreatic burden, but the onset of Type 2 diabetes is a result of the long-term combined effect of genetic and environmental factors. Its risk factors include family history, obesity, lack of exercise, hypertension, abnormal blood lipids, and multiple other aspects.

Can diabetes be relieved? Gao Bin introduces that some newly diagnosed, obese Type 2 diabetes patients can return to a normal blood sugar range without medication through lifestyle management such as diet and exercise, achieving clinical-defined diabetes remission—meaning stopping all glucose-lowering medications for at least 3 months with a glycated hemoglobin level below 6.5%, and maintaining this medication-free normal blood sugar state for months to years. It is important to note that even without medication, regular blood sugar monitoring is crucial because blood sugar levels can still fluctuate.

How can we prevent diabetes? Dr. Wang Xiaoguang, deputy director of the Endocrinology Department at Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Medical University, suggests that the first step is to "watch what you eat," maintain a balanced diet, eat more vegetables and whole grains, ensure adequate protein intake, control calories, avoid high-sugar, high-fat, and high-cholesterol diets, choose low-sugar fruits, and reduce the intake of sugary drinks. Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption. Additionally, adjust meal order: start with clear soup, then eat a large amount of vegetables, followed by protein, and finally carbohydrates. This sequence can act like a "buffer" using dietary fiber and protein to slow down blood sugar rise and maintain stable post-meal blood sugar levels. Furthermore, it is important to "get moving," engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling. Avoid prolonged sitting and get up to move around every hour. Pay attention to controlling weight and keeping the body mass index (BMI) below 24, especially reducing abdominal fat. (Reporter: Lin Juan)