Recommendations for diabetes control in summer
“Increased consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages means greater calorie and carbohydrate intake, which will immediately lead to a lack of glycemic control and, in the medium term, to increased body fat and excess weight,” explains the researcher. Dr. Manuel Gargalloa member of the SEEN Diabetes Zone. Therefore, people with diabetes should ensure that the drinks they consume are low in calories and non-alcoholic or non-alcoholic. 00. It is also very important that they are hydrated, so they should drink plenty of water or infusions daily, preferably with ice.
This is one of the recommendations of the scientific society aimed at improving diabetes control in the summer. According to experts, the increase in drinking outside the home is also usually accompanied by snacking and snacks which also contribute to glycemic imbalance. For this reason, SEEN endocrinology and nutrition specialist emphasizes that it is important to maintain a certain balance in intake in order to compensate additional. “They can eat snacks or snacks with dietary cuts for lunch or dinner,” he suggests. Glycemic control is also vital because it signals the need for changes in treatment at this time.
Increased risk of dehydration in people with diabetes
Heat and high temperatures may affect these patients differently. For this reason, people with diabetes are prone to dehydration: “If poorly controlled, they may urinate a lot, and if the heat causes them to sweat profusely, if they do not compensate for this loss with significant fluid intake, the risk of dehydration is very high. This risk is higher in older people with diabetes or those who have any kidney disease,” the specialist emphasizes. In addition, some drugs, such as glucosurics, increase urine output, which may also contribute to a greater risk of dehydration in the summer.
On the other hand, although there is typically more exercise in the summer, the heat limits the ability of people with diabetes to exercise, which can lead to a sedentary lifestyle and therefore poor glycemic control.
In this sense, the endocrinologist remembers that physical exercise brings great benefits to people with diabetes, for example, it reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, the main cause of death in these patients. In addition, it helps control weight and prevent obesity, promotes glycemic control, prevents and combats the development of sarcopenia, which is more common in people with diabetes, and has a positive effect on psychological well-being and quality of life. For this reason, he emphasizes, diabetics should try to lead an active lifestyle despite high temperatures, using cooler hours for walking or swimming.
Insulin is a heat-sensitive drug
On the other hand, SEEN emphasizes that people with diabetes are more susceptible to heatstroke when they are exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time because their biological control of their adaptation mechanisms to extreme temperatures changes and they are more sensitive to heat. . In this regard, the expert points out that insulin is a heat-sensitive drug that may lose its effectiveness if the temperature at which it is located is very high. “You shouldn’t leave it in the car for hours in the sun or in a window,” he recommends.
Older adults with diabetes are at greater risk of dehydration and are more sensitive to heat. If they have any cognitive impairment, the likelihood of acute decompensation is significant. For this reason, Dr. Gargallo concludes, “this population should drink at least two liters of fluid per day and not expose themselves to high temperatures for too long.”