Diabetes issues rising fast in Cambodia; govt urges people to follow through a balanced diet

A diabetic patient has his blood tested for glucose levels. - Phnom Penh Post/ANN

PHNOM PENH, June 28 (Phnom Penh Post/ANN): More than 430,000 Cambodia people aged 20-79 are living with diabetes, while the number of deaths from the disease has risen to 3,362, or about 3.75 per cent of the annual death toll, according to data released in 2020 by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. Most of the food you eat is broken down into sugar, called glucose, and released into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. Type 2 diabetes usually happens to adults whose bodies are resistant to insulin or who produce insufficient insulin.