Diabetes Management
Approximately 3.9 million Malaysians have diabetes. In a 2021 survey conducted by AstraZeneca and the Malaysian Endocrine & Metabolic Society (MEMS), more than half of respondents do not know that there is no cure for diabetes.
Find out how to effectively manage this condition.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition where the pancreas in the body fails to produce enough insulin (hormone that regulates blood glucose level), or when the body is unable to make use of the insulin that is being produced.
Insulin is transported around the body through the blood to provide glucose to cells and tissues, including organs like the liver. When diabetes is present, this process is disrupted, which can lead to increased levels of blood glucose and cause damage to the body if left untreated, such as nerve, heart and kidney issues.
There is currently no cure for diabetes and patients need to manage their diabetes for life. Speedoc can help you manage the symptoms of diabetes with professional help, support, education, lab tests, health care appointments, and medication from home.
What Causes Diabetes?
Diabetes is caused by a buildup of sugar in the bloodstream due to genetic predispositions or other factors such as poor lifestyle choices.
There are 3 types of diabetes, namely:
- Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes occurs due to the body’s inability to make use of insulin to affect cell processes and give us energy. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in Malaysia and is caused by excess body weight and being inactive or having a sedentary lifestyle. - Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is similar to Type 2 diabetes and can be found in both adults and young children. However, there are often no signs of Type 1 diabetes in the patient until much later; and symptoms tend to occur suddenly. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin and the patient must be administered with insulin daily. - Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy when the patient has blood glucose above normal level. Women with gestational diabetes are at risk of developing complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Both themselves and their children may be prone to Type 2 diabetes later in life.
What Are The Symptoms Of Diabetes?
Some symptoms of diabetes in Malaysia include:
- Unexpected weight loss
- Numbness in hands, feet and legs
- Feeling tired, hungry and thirsty easily
- Dry and scaly skin
- Frequent urination
- Wounds that do not heal normally
Those who are overweight and have a strong family history of diabetes are more likely to develop the condition. Consider scheduling a teleconsultation to talk about screening for diabetes mellitus.
If you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and need medication refills or specific blood tests, we also provide medicine delivery and lab tests at home with subsequent telemedicine to review your results.
Who Is At Risk Of Suffering From Diabetes In Malaysia?
- Adults aged 45 and up
Insulin resistance (caused by visceral fat which is fat surrounding your internal organs) and decline in the body’s pancreatic function can occur as you get older. - Those with a BMI of 23 and above
This risk is increased if you have a sedentary lifestyle. - Those with a family history of diabetes
This risk is increased if you have a sedentary lifestyle.
For those diagnosed with prediabetes (blood glucose level is higher than normal) – you may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as heart attacks and stroke if your condition worsens due to poor self-management.
How Is Diabetes Diagnosed?
Diabetes is typically diagnosed during a screening test where your blood glucose levels are examined for any abnormalities (fasting blood glucose test or blood glucose test).
You may also be tested for cholesterol levels in your blood as well as a full blood count. It is crucial that as soon as you notice any symptoms of having high blood sugar levels, you are scheduled for an appointment with a trained professional. This way, you can arrange for a blood test at home, and/or seek medical attention for diabetes to be able to better manage it together.
What Are Some Treatment Options For Diabetes In Malaysia?
In Malaysia, diabetes can be managed the following ways:
- Keep your blood pressure in a healthy range
- Keep your bad cholesterol low and good cholesterol high
- Stop smoking
- Adhere to a healthy, balanced diet high in whole grains, vegetables and low in sugar and saturated fat
- Make physical activity as part of your routine
Some patients may need medication alongside the aforementioned guidelines. For patients with Type 1 diabetes, insulin shots will be prescribed to help replace the insulin that your body is unable to produce on its own.
Managing Your Diabetes At Home
- All relevant lab tests
- 1 doctor house call
- 1 nurse house visit
- Quarterly review via teleconsultation
- Medication not included
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDHM™) is fully customisable to your medical history and needs. It takes into account your current diabetic condition and the last time you took a blood glucose test, taking into account your past lab test results. Our Patient Care Team is always ready to listen to your needs and design the right Diabetes management programme just for you.
There will be five (5) consultations with your doctor. The first in-person consultation will be done in the comfort of your own home with the help of a nurse to conduct preliminary tests and examinations to set the baseline for home management diabetes programme. The doctor will continue to check in with you via teleconsultation 3-5 days after the initial visit to clarify doubts, go over your test result, and prescribe you with your medication. After that, there will be three other follow-up reviews over teleconsultation, followed by a nurse home visit for blood samples, to continue managing your diabetes in a timely manner and to prescribe you with your medication.
Efficiency and timeliness are two of the biggest benefits of signing up for our CDHM program. Follow-ups and proper diabetes management are crucial. To maintain your quality of life, we need optimal management that will keep complications like vision loss, kidney disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetic neuropathy, etc at bay. These conditions can be serious without proper management of the diabetic symptoms and can lead to hospitalisation and additional medication. Speedoc offers an efficient and affordable way to prevent the onset of these potential complications.
Unfortunately, diabetes is a chronic medical condition that cannot be cured. However, it can be managed with lifestyle changes and for some patients with medication. Pre-diabetes, though, can be reversed with lifestyle changes.
The normal range of a random blood glucose level is 7.8 mmol/L - 11.1mmol/L. Fasting blood sugar should be below 5.6mmol/L. The fasting blood sugar levels ranging from 5.6mmol/L to 6.9mmol/L are considered abnormal and should take further tests to confirm diabetes status.
A random blood glucose test is a test that you can do at any time for routine sugar monitoring but not a diagnostic test for diabetes. The fasting blood sugar level is a better indicator of diabetes which require you to fast 8 to 12 hours before the test.
You don’t have to worry about going to the clinic or hospital to get your lab tests done because a doctor, accompanied by a nurse, will conduct a house visit to do the test for you. You’ll also get a follow-up nurse house visit and three (3) video consultations with a doctor to control your diabetic conditions.
People who are suffering from diabetes would best benefit from our comprehensive CDHM™ programme, especially those who are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes. If you have difficulty moving about or are not sure about how well you’re managing your diabetes and its condition yourself, you’ll reap the benefits of our Diabetes Home Management Programme. It removes the hassle of remembering when to go for follow-ups, tests, and when your medication is running out.
Asians appear to have a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to Caucasians due to our likelihood of having more fats within our abdomen. This type of body composition/type leads to insulin resistance or the body responding poorer to insulin.
Diabetes is caused by the body’s failure to produce enough insulin – the hormone responsible for reducing blood glucose levels. While sweet food or food high in sugar does not directly cause diabetes, a diet high in sugar or fat can lead to obesity. This causes the body to be less sensitive to insulin.
