Diabetes, the silent killer

King Taejong of the Joseon Dynasty expressed fear and gave advice about the health of his son, who went on to become Sejong the Great, as he was gaining weight due to his fondness for reading books and avoidance of physical activity. Sejong liked eating, especially meat, and had little interest in hunting, which Joseon kings generally enjoyed. Sejong, who suffered an eye disease from his mid-30s, could hardly identify staff standing right by him in the final years of his life he became nearly blind due to complications from diabetes. According to "The Sejong Sillok (Annals)," the king had many diseases, including edema and hand tremors, and was in a state of “human general hospital.” His entire body suffered from diabetic complications.

A small scar on a diabetic`s foot can cause necrosis, which can result in amputation of the foot. Diabetes is a dreadful disease due to complications that occur from head to toe. It can also cause chronic renal failure, and a patient must filter impurities in the blood through kidney dialysis twice or three times per week. Blindness can result due to damaged blood vessels in the retina, and complications of cardiovascular organs, including cardiac infarction, angina and stroke, can be life-threatening. Diabetes is called the “silent killer” along with high blood pressure because of lack of noticeable symptoms until the disease progresses to a serious condition.

Traditional Korean medicine considered conditions caused by three excesses as symptoms of diabetes: excessive drinking, excessive eating and excessive urination. Even if these symptoms are not monitored in a patient, a high blood sugar level requires thorough management. If diabetes is not treated with drugs early on, the risk for such complications increases two to three times. Doctors say patients do not even bother to check the “glycosuria” column of a medical examination interview sheet because they do not feel specific pain. This means that they do not consider diabetes as a disease. Many patients fail to take medicine regularly or check their blood sugar levels properly, enabling the disease to progress. Management of diabetes is not a task for the patient alone, as training should be given to the patient’s family.

One in 10 Koreans aged 30 or higher is estimated to be a diabetic. Thirty percent of the population has a blood sugar disorder when on an empty stomach, which is a pre-diabetic situation. Half of the elderly aged 65 or higher are patients or potential patients, while half of diabetics aged 30 to 44 are not even aware that they have the disease. Diabetes is a lifestyle ailment, though genetics is a significant factor. People can prevent the occurrence or delay the progress of the disease by exercising, staying fit, and reducing sugar and carbohydrate consumption. Once diabetes occurs, a patient should consider it a lifelong partner and carefully manage it to prevent complications. If the disease is properly managed and controlled, individuals will stay healthy and the national health insurance system will sustain sound finances.

Editorial Writer Lee Hyeong-sam (hans@donga.com)