Diabetes and stroke interlinked

According to the National Registry of Diseases Office, 2 in 5 stroke victims were diabetic in Singapore. In this episode of Patient Stories, we interview Shirley who shares with us her experience suffering from diabetes and having gone through a stroke. 

Suffered a stroke 2 months after being diagnosed with diabetes

Shirley was sent to the AnE after experiencing severe giddiness and breathlessness. Upon arriving at the hospital and going through the necessary checks, it was confirmed to be a stroke. This happened just 2 months after being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.

Importance of adherence to treatment

Patients play a big role in managing their condition. One of the most important thing is to adhere to the doctor’s instructions on taking medication. Non-adherence to treatment, across all diseases, will cause a much higher likelihood of exacerbating an existing condition.

Diabetes occurs when our body either
a. produces insufficient insulin or
b. does not react properly to insulin

Both of which will cause the sugar levels in our blood to be high, which damage our body and cause complications in the long run.

Kidney disease, heart attack and stroke

Apart from other micro-complications, uncontrolled diabetes can cause kidney disease and heart attack. 2 in 3 new kidney failure cases and 1 in 2 heart attack cases were due to uncontrolled diabetes, according to the National Registry of Diseases Office.