Obesity and high blood pressure are some common metabolic health issues. People who are obese and people with high blood sugar can lose 50 percent of the healthy years of their lives to premature death or disease, according to an international study.
Over the years, the number of years that are lost because of factors related with undernutrition for children and mothers, like wasting or stunting, also dropped by a whooping 71.5 percent.
Another study published recently utilised data from 204 territories and countries for identifying the leading reason of early death and illness worldwide. The causes were measured in DALYs or Disability-Adjusted Life Years.
The study shows that there has been a clear shift in the health challenges as populations age and lifestyles change. The author of the study also said that the biggest risk factor in the years 2000 and 2021 data was air pollution.
The author also pointed out that there was no uniformity in the results. For instance, undernutrition was the major risk factor posing health risks in the sub-Saharan Africa.
Ill health among the ages of 15 years to 49 years globally was an increasing problem due to high blood sugar and a high body mass index or BMI. They were two of the biggest risk factors that led to the development of diabetes, added the authors of the study.
The trends in the future will be very different from the trends in the past because of factors like increasing obesity, addiction, and climate change, claimed a leading research scientist, which led to the study.
Another study predicted that the life expectancy of an individual is expected to rise by 4.5 years by 2050, from 73.6 years to 78.1 years.
The biggest increases in mental health issues and obesity in countries wherein the existing estimates are lower. This means the life expectancies of the people are starting to converge globally. However, many people shall live longer. The study forecasted that they are likely to experience more years of poor health.
Ill-health and obesity are also caused due to high prevalence of hypertension and some associated metabolic and cardiorenal disorders. When the fat stores in your body increase, there is a corresponding increase in the leptin signals telling the body that there are sufficient energy reserves. The raised levels of leptin triggers the growth of blood vessels in hypothalamus. This in turn leads to hypertension.
Weight loss can help in reducing blood pressure in overweight patients. Regular exercise is also associated with reductions in diastolic and systolic blood pressure. However, according to a recent study, you can develop high blood pressure or primary hypertension even if you eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, and do not smoke.
High blood sugar or Hyperglycaemia is also common in people with diabetes. In case high blood sugar is left unattended or untreated, it can lead to diabetes, nerve damage, kidney damage, and eye disease. When there is too much glucose in your blood, your body cannot use insulin properly. This needs immediate medical treatment.
