As you reach your forties, you realize that everything comes at a price. A great career at the cost of back ache, investments at the cost of grey hair, and growing children at the cost of your hobbies.
In forties, you are no longer the gazelle you were before, but the wisdom you have gained gives you an edge. It is with this wisdom that you can avoid many chronic illness like diabetes, and hypertension. Yes, we are talking about diabetes prevention.
What happens to your body in your 40s?
It is a fact of nature that we all grow and eventually get old. The drive and effervescence of youth fades away, but that’s nothing to be depressed about. You can still maintain a good quality of life with proper knowledge of what happens to your mind and body as you age. Acting on this knowledge, you can stay healthier, have a positive outlook towards life, and work towards diabetes prevention.
Changes that happen to your body in your forties
- Wrinkles on face tend to get more pronounced
- Back aches and muscle pains tend to increase
- Recovery time from injuries increases
- Tooth decay is more common in this age group
- Testosterone production in men and estrogen in women decreases
- There is more hair loss
- Sleep quality reduces
- It becomes harder to remember things
- You may experience changes in vision
- It get harder to lose weight
- Menstrual cycles in women tend to get erratic
- Libido tends to reduce
- The ability to bear children reduces drastically
- Bone density reduces
- There is a gradual decrease in the muscle mass
Though you tend to have lesser episodes of common cold, your risk of getting chronic illnesses like osteoporosis, hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes increases.
Diabetes in 40s
Due to changes that occur in your body as you age, your plan to age in a healthy way should not just be restricted to a medical insurance and other financial plans. Regular health checks and changes in lifestyle are mandatory in order to steer clear of many chronic illnesses. This is because diabetes in the forties tends to increase the risk of hospitalization due to:
- Infections like bone and joint infections, pneumonia, sepsis, and endocarditis
- Diabetes complications of the eyes, kidneys. The likelihood of getting diabetes complications are higher in people with diabetes for seven or more years.
- Diabetic cataracts
- Heart disease
- Atherosclerosis
- Coronary artery disease
Added to these risk factors, the effects of obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels are far higher in people between the ages of 45 to 65 years of age.
Diabetes Prevention in your 40s
If you are already living with diabetes, you have to adhere to your exercise, diabetes diet plan, and medications religiously. Along with that, you need to get to get a complete screening once or twice a year as per the advice of your diabetes doctor.
If you do not have diabetes, you still need to work your way to stay healthy and live longer. Here are a few steps you need to take in order to prevent diabetes.
Regular Screening
What with the levels of stress we undergo, it is vital that you get yourself screened at least twice a year. This screening will help identify any health issues early on. You need to undergo these diagnostic tests even if you do not experience any symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Screening tests include:
- Fasting blood glucose test
- Postprandial blood glucose test
- HbA1c test
- Blood pressure
- Lipid profile test
- Thyroid function tests
- Kidney function test
- 2D-echo
- Abdomen ultrasound
- Bone mineral density test
- Dilated fundus examination
Some or all of these tests are required as per the recommendation of your diabetes doctor.
Lifestyle Modification for Diabetes Prevention
It is said that diabetes reduces your lifespan by six years on an average. It doubles your risk of heart disease and stroke. Added to that, the risk of diabetes itself increases as you age. That is why it is better to work towards diabetes prevention through lifestyle modification.
As you age, insulin resistance of the muscles and liver increases. That is why your lifestyle modification should concentrate on increasing insulin sensitivity and regulating weight. This is done by changing the way you eat, getting proper exercise, and avoiding smoking and alcohol.
Tips to prevent diabetes in your 40s
- Get at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week
- Eat more vegetables, fruits, and nuts
- Reduce salt intake
- Avoid alcohol and smoking
- Avoid stress
- Avoid intake of saturated fats
- Reduce weight
It is important to get dietary modifications in a balanced approach as it can jeopardize proper nutrition. For an ideal diabetes diet plan, consult our diabetes doctors and endocrinologists.
