TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Diabetes is one of the top ten causes of death in Taiwan, with a survey by the Ministry of Health and Welfare finding 2.18 million adults suffering from the illness, per CNEWS.

According to a survey conducted by the National Health Promotion Agency (NPA) between 2017-2020, the prevalence of diabetes amongst Taiwanese over the age of 18 is 11.1%. Based on this figure, it’s estimated that about 2.18 million people in Taiwan suffer from diabetes.

NPA Director-General Wu Chao-chun (吳昭軍) said that obesity, lack of exercise, high blood pressure, high blood fat, smoking, excessive drinking, and genetics are all risk factors for diabetes. He warned that the lack of obvious symptoms in early stage diabetes can lead to cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and other complications.

Diabetes high-risk groups should have regular health checks as the NPA says that those with abnormal blood sugar should seek professional help as soon as possible. It also encourages everyone to improve unhealthy lifestyles to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes.

HPA Aging and Chronic Disease Control Director Wu Chien-yuan (吳建遠) says pre-diabetes is asymptomatic and needs to be confirmed through blood tests. Therefore, regular health checks to detect blood sugar can be useful in reversing pre-diabetic conditions and improved lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of diabetes by more than 50%.

The NPA points out that the government currently provides free preventive healthcare services for adults over the age of 40 every three years and those over the age of 65 once a year. In addition, the public can also monitor their blood sugar status through self-paid checkups in medical institutions.

Blood sugar management is very important for diabetics to avoid subsequent comorbidities such as vascular disease, retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease.