What is Diabetes and Cancer

Diabetes and Cancer

These two major health conditions can run in families – but they delayed or prevented with a healthy lifestyle and screenings. The diabetes and cancer are the leading cause of death and disability, claiming some seventeen million lives a year, which is almost one – third of all deaths globally.

Diabetes

Facts: Asia has a biggest diabetes burden in the world. More than eighty million people in Asia Pacific live with diabetes and perhaps more have it do not yet realize.

Genetics: If one parent has it, there is a ten percent chance you will develop it in middle age. That increases to twenty percent if both parents have it. Other risk factors include further family history of the condition, being overweight, low levels of activity, high blood pressure, poor diet, smoking and high cholesterol.

Prevention: People at risk can delay and even prevent diabetes by following a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise, healthy eating and weight control. If it runs in the family, talk to your doctor

Cancer

Facts: More than ten million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year, and an alarming seven million new cases of cancer in Asia are projected by the year 2020.

Genetics: A genetic predisposition to cancer is actually a mutation in the normal cancer protection genes. Only about five percent of bowel, breast and ovarian cancers are believed to involve an inherited faulty gene.

Prevention: At least one in three cancer cases are preventable. Smoking remains the most important avoidable risk. Other preventable causes include poor diet, inadequate exercise and obesity. For those with family history of breast, ovarian or bowel cancer, see your doctor for regular screening.

Family History

Today, most of the patients are aware of significant family health problems, but very few are able to provide the detailed and specific information required by doctors to interpret their health risks. And the worst scenario was that they are not even well – informed about their own health.

As far as family medical history goes, you should try to obtain information from as many family members as possible. The earlier you start asking relatives, the greater the chance you have of building up detailed, accurate history from family members who are able to remember. And once you have your list, even it is small, it is important to pass the information on to your doctor, so he can make more accurate health assessment for you, especially for the diabetes and cancer patients.