Diabetes Treatment in Ankara

Diabetes is a chronic condition in which blood glucose remains high because the body does not produce enough insulin or cannot use it effectively. In Turkey roughly one in seven adults has diabetes, and many are unaware of it.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Demirci is an investigator in the nationwide TEMD studies involving thousands of people with diabetes, with numerous international publications on hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, vaccination and drug use in diabetes.

Types of Diabetes

• Type 1: autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing cells; treated with insulin.
• Type 2: the most common type, linked to insulin resistance, obesity and genetics.
• Gestational diabetes: high blood glucose first detected in pregnancy.
• Other types: monogenic diabetes (MODY), pancreatic disease, steroid-induced diabetes.

Symptoms

Increased thirst and urination, dry mouth, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, slow-healing wounds and tingling in the hands or feet. Type 2 diabetes may cause no symptoms for years.

Diagnosis

Diabetes is diagnosed with a fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL, HbA1c ≥6.5%, a 2-hour OGTT value ≥200 mg/dL, or a random glucose ≥200 mg/dL with symptoms. A fasting glucose of 100–125 mg/dL indicates prediabetes.

Treatment

Treatment is individualised according to age, disease duration, weight, heart and kidney health and hypoglycaemia risk. It includes nutrition and activity planning, modern oral and injectable medications (metformin, SGLT-2 inhibitors, DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists), insulin therapy when needed and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).

Preventing Complications

Regular monitoring of HbA1c, blood pressure, cholesterol, kidney function and urinary albumin, together with annual eye and foot examinations and recommended vaccinations, helps prevent eye, kidney, nerve and cardiovascular complications.