Nurses the focus of World Diabetes Day

This year’s World Diabetes Day, November 14, will focus on promoting the role of nurses in the prevention and management of the condition and the role they play in aiding those with diabetes to manage their conditions safely.

With 3280 cases of diabetes on the rock, the role of these nurses is to “empower” people with the condition and to teach them how to control and modify their lifestyle accordingly.

Adult Diabetes Nurse at the Gibraltar Health Authority, Susan Edwards, said: ‘World Diabetes Day gives us an excellent opportunity to re-think our lifestyles and reduce our risk of contracting Type 2 diabetes, which is preventable and reversible.”

Type 2 diabetes, which currently afflicts 3002 Gibraltarians, is when the body is able to produce insulin but the body cells are resistant.

This type of diabetes however is preventable and reversable through the keeping of a healthy balanced diet and with an active lifestyle as one of its main causes is obesity as excess weight and fat hinders the functionality of insulin.

“We need to get rid of the trigger, and that is obesity, by doing things mindfully and in moderation,” said Ms Edwards.

“Let’s bring our BMI down below 30, look at what we are eating, reduce the amount of fats and sugars we are eating and increase our activity.”

In addition to type 2 diabetes there is also type 1 which affects 278 people in Gibraltar and is a condition described as autoimmune.

This means that type 1 diabetes cannot be avoided as the body works against itself and destroys the insulin-producing cells.

Minister for Health Samantha Sacramento said: ‘I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our nurses and clinical staff at the GHA for their hard work throughout the year to help diabetes patients manage and treat their conditions through a healthy, active lifestyle.”

“I would also like to thank Diabetes Gibraltar for the important role they play, particularly in raising awareness. These are prime examples of how small changes can go a long way to preventing and treating illnesses.”