Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc (50 years old, District 12) was working when she suddenly felt dizzy, tired, had difficulty breathing, and was lethargic. Her colleagues took her to the Emergency Department of Tam Anh General Hospital on the morning of May 22.

Dr. Nguyen Hoang Khuong admitted the patient in a lethargic state. Test results showed that blood sugar was at 500 mg/dl, 3-5 times higher than normal. HbA1C index (assessing blood sugar within 3 months) increased by 11.22% (normal is 4-5.6%). Blood pressure dropped to 83/50 mmHg, blood potassium decreased.

The doctor diagnosed the patient with diabetes but did not treat it, leading to hyperglycemia, hypokalemia, hypotension, and coma. If not treated promptly, it will be life-threatening. After receiving fluid, electrolyte, and insulin replacement, the patient became alert, no longer had difficulty breathing, and continued to be monitored at the Endocrinology - Diabetes Department.

Waking up in a hospital bed, Ms. Ngoc said she was surprised when the doctor told her she had diabetes. She is a construction worker, carrying heavy objects, working in the sun continuously, and often drinks 2-3 bottles of soft drinks and other cool drinks, herbs (ginger, pennywort...) containing a lot of sugar every day.

According to Dr. Khuong, the patient does not know he has diabetes. Regularly drinking soft drinks and juices made from leaves mixed with sugar causes blood sugar to increase, easily leading to acute complications: increased blood osmotic pressure, ketoacidosis (blood containing a lot of acid). Blood sugar increases and decreases erratically over a long period of time leading to chronic complications: kidney failure, blurred vision, blood vessel damage, diabetic feet...

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by blood sugar levels being higher than normal. The cause is that the pancreas does not produce or produces little insulin, and the cells in the body do not use insulin effectively. According to Dr. Khuong, many people with diabetes do not know they have the disease like Ms. Ngoc because they do not recognize the symptoms such as: thirst and drinking a lot of water, frequent urination, fatigue, eating a lot but losing weight... Many cases accidentally discover diabetes during a health check or the disease becomes severe and has complications.

There are many risk factors leading to diabetes such as: over 35 years old, overweight, obesity, family history of this disease, gestational diabetes, lipid disorders... Among them, a diet high in starch (rice, noodles, pho, porridge...), processed foods, soft drinks, lack of exercise... are common risk factors in modern life.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends cutting down on added sugar to help prevent obesity and heart disease. Adult women should eat no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar (24 g), and men should eat no more than 9 teaspoons of sugar (36 g) per day. In their daily diet, people should drink water and unsweetened beverages; use berry juice to sweeten milk, yogurt, etc. instead of adding sugar or condensed milk; eat fruit instead of drinking juice. People with diabetes should avoid sweet drinks and limit processed foods.

Exercise, walk 30 minutes every day to reduce the risk of being overweight, obese. People with symptoms of eating a lot, drinking a lot, urinating a lot, unexplained weight loss... should see a doctor. Regular check-ups help control blood sugar well, detect complications at an early stage for timely treatment, prolonging life.

Nguyen Tram