Montserrat Martínez: "There are more than 5,500 people with diabetes on our island"

The president of the Majorera Association for Diabetes (Amadi), Montserrat Martínez, committed to more information about the disease to prevent it or, in case of suffering it already, manage it better.

The Association has an office in the old Colorines College (Comandante Calle Díaz Trayter, Puerto del Rosario), where support is given and informs people with Diabetes de Fuerteventura for the sake of improving the quality of life.

- When was the Amadi association and with what objectives?

- It was created in 2009 by a previous board of directors.I am president since May 2015 following my daughter's diabetic debut with 12 years.Amadi seeks to improve the quality of life of people with diabetes in Fuerteventura.For people who have type 1 diabetes, especially in the case of children, improve knowledge in new technologies, diabetological education, and inform of everything new that is going through fairs and voluntary personnel who work with us.Many times what anyone needs to keep control of diabetes is to have healthy knowledge and habits, since, the better their diabetes know, the better it can manage it.

- How many diabetics are there on the island?

- According to official data at the end of 2015, in Fuerteventura there are more than 5,500 cases, of which 10% would be of type 1, which is when there is a problem of the immune system that cannot be prevented.In the case of type 2 diabetes, the most generalized, is related to sedentary life, poor diet and lack of physical exercise, although there may also be a hereditary component.There is also gestational diabetes that can cause serious damage to the fetus and the mother during pregnancy.But the most frequent diabetes is that of type 2. In addition to diagnosed cases, it is estimated that there may be 6.5% more people who do not know that they have the disease.On the other hand, according to a general study conducted in Spain at the end of 2013, direct deaths due to diabetes in the Canary Islands have risen from 60% to 80%.

- What services are offered in the Amadi office that have open at the Colorines College?

- The Association opens to the public Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9 am to 1 pm, when the social worker attends;and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.On Thursday we make a Board of Directors, organization meetings, assemblies, while the second and fourth Thursday there are specific talks of professionals that we have as volunteers or laboratory professionals who come to present any new product.The third Thursday we give individualized psychological attention and diabetological education through the nurse-educational we have.Of course the attention is for the partners and by appointment to organize.

- Can diabetes be prevented or is a genetic disease and no matter what we eat?

- In the case of type 1, no, because it is an immune system disease in which, at a certain moment, your antibodies attack insulin producing cells.But, in the case of type 2, yes, with healthy eating and a little physical exercise such as walking half an hour a day.In addition, in people with prediabetes or with the possibility of developing diabetes, diet, exercise and, of course, medical control is very important.

- What risk factors exist?

- Obesity above all;The diabetes-obesity ratio is very high.

- What evils are associated?

- Diabetes is a painless disease;The chronic diseases that cause you a diabetes hurt, such as eye retinopathy that can make you lose vision, damage to the kidneys that can make dialysis.It is estimated that 51% of the people who are discussed in the Canary Islands are due to direct causeof diabetes.You can have nervous problems and have loss of members.ICTUS may be related to diabetes because there is not enough irrigation due to the accumulation of blood sugar.A bad diabetes control brings rigged diseases such as hypertension, cholesterol.If a person without diabetes already is at risk of these other diseases, with diabetes that risk is triggered.

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