Dr Fatma Chaker, an endocrinology and diabetology professor at La Rabta Hospital, indicated that type 2 diabetes is the most widespread in Tunisia, compared to type 1, accounting for nearly 90% of cases. She also warned about the risks associated with this disease, often silent and likely to progress without those affected realizing it.
A guest on the program “Sahtik Aghla” (Your health is precious), broadcast from the Tunisian News Agency (TAP) studio on the occasion of World Diabetes Day, celebrated each year on November 14, Fatma Chaker recalled that the latest study conducted in 2019 by the Tunisian Association for Studies and Research on Atherosclerosis revealed that 23% of Tunisians aged 40 to 70 years were affected by type 2 diabetes. Among the participants in this study, 6% suffered from the disease without knowing it.
The specialist explained that type 1 and type 2 diabetes are distinguished particularly by the age groups most exposed and by the way the symptoms appear. “Type 1 diabetes affects more children, but it can also concern adults. Likewise, type 2 mainly affects adults, but it can also affect children and adolescents,” she clarified.
Type 1 diabetes can thus appear from the earliest months of life, in infants, children, and adolescents, due to the body’s inability to produce insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. Those affected must then rely on insulin injections. This form of diabetes can also concern adults.
Among the main symptoms are intense thirst, persistent fatigue, a feeling of weakness, and frequent urination. In this regard, Dr Fatma Chaker urged consulting a doctor as soon as these signs appear in order to prevent possible complications.
Regarding type 2 diabetes, the specialist stressed that it mainly affects people over 40 years old, notably those with risk factors such as overweight, obesity, or genetic predispositions. People whose mother suffered from diabetes during pregnancy are also among the exposed populations, as are those under medical supervision for hypertension or dyslipidemia. This form of diabetes can also appear in children and adolescents, particularly those who are overweight.
Fatma Chaker also indicated that the symptoms of diabetes typically begin to appear when blood glucose exceeds 1.8 to 2 grams per liter. She explained that the abrupt decrease in insulin production leads to a rapid rise in blood sugar, allowing for quicker detection of type 1 diabetes. Conversely, type 2 diabetes progresses gradually and may remain undiagnosed for several years.
Changes in lifestyle and eating habits, the main factors driving the spread of diabetes
Dr Fatma Chaker attributed the progression of diabetes in Tunisia to the profound transformations of the population’s lifestyle and eating habits. She pointed out in particular the increasing consumption of processed and packaged foods, rich in sugars, as well as excessive consumption of white bread, to the detriment of a healthy and balanced diet.
She reminded that a balanced diet rests on diversification of consumed foods, notably milk and its derivatives, cereals, vegetables, and fruits, while ensuring to respect the principles of nutritional balance and to limit sugar intake as much as possible, in line with the Mediterranean diet recommendations.
The specialist also drew attention to abdominal fat accumulation, known as abdominal obesity, which constitutes an additional factor increasing the risk of developing diabetes, particularly in the absence of physical activity.
In this context, she urged the people most at risk, notably those with family history or overweight, to adopt a balanced diet and to regularly engage in physical activity in order to reduce the risks of developing diabetes.
