Lagos’s health commissioner Akin Abayomi, says Nigeria is
struggling to manage the rate of diabetes due to a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors.

He said this in an interview in Lagos on Friday on the sideline of the
Nigerian Academy of Science workshop.

He spoke against the backdrop of the 2024 World Diabetes Day (WDD), annually celebrated on Nov. 14 around the world to raise awareness
about the devastating effects of the disease.

“Just like a car needs fuel to run, our bodies use sugar as fuel, but if the body cannot use up all the sugar, it starts to build up as glucose. When glucose levels get too high, it can cause serious damage,” said Mr Abayomi.

Mr Abayomi explained that the body’s inability to utilise sugar completely leads to accumulation, causing damaging effects on the body. According to the expert, the reasons for abnormal sugar handling include the combination of nurture and nature – genetic composition and environmental factors.

“There are two types of sugar diabetes, one that manifests in young people and another that manifests in older age, with the latter being more common. Diabetes has a hereditary pattern, but it’s also linked to lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise and obesity.

“So, when you look at all these factors — genetic inheritance, lifestyle, diet, types of foods consumed, obesity and lack of exercise, they are factors that push people toward a state of not being able to handle sugar properly.

“Also, consuming refined carbohydrates and urban lifestyle are all risk factors that contribute to the development of sugar diabetes,” added the commissioner.

Mr Abayomi explained that when sugar starts accumulating and then develops into pre-diabetes and eventually full-scale diabetes, it has a lot of complications in the organs of the body.

He added that such complications could affect the kidneys, cause heart failure or even stroke, stressing that individuals need to get checked
and know their blood sugar, blood pressure, and body mass index.

He announced that awareness programmes are underway to educate the public on the importance of diabetes management.

Mr Abayomi urged Nigerians to prioritise healthy living, know their health status, and take control of sugar levels to avoid devastating
consequences of diabetes.

(NAN)