The food that we eat is broken down into sugar (glucose) and released into the bloodstream. When the blood sugar increases, it signals the pancreas to secrete insulin. Insulin allows the glucose to enter into the cells, where it is converted into energy.
When a person suffers from diabetes, their pancreas cannot produce enough insulin. The low level of insulin increases the blood sugar level. Over time, it can lead to serious health problems, such as cardiac and renal diseases, stroke, and bone diseases.
India is often known as the diabetes capital of the world because it has the second-largest number of adults suffering from diabetes. In the last few decades, diabetes has changed from being a mild disorder of the elderly to one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality affecting youth and middle-aged people.
Type-1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. The immune system attacks the pancreas and destroys the beta cells, which are responsible for producing insulin. Type-1 diabetes is caused due to genetic or environmental factors.
Type-2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of diabetic cases. In this type, the body cannot use insulin efficiently. It causes the pancreas to produce more insulin until it can no longer keep up with the demand. The insulin production eventually decreases, and the blood sugar level increases. Obesity can increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
Diabetes can increase the risk of developing bone and joint diseases. Excess sugar present in the bloodstream can attach to the collagen present in the bones. Collagen makes the bone stronger and prevents it from breaking due to a fall or force. When sugar attaches to the collagen, its structure changes, making the bone more brittle.1,2
Patients with type-2 diabetes have higher bone density due to increased body weight. A higher bone density is usually associated with stronger bones, but in the case of diabetes, this is not true. People with diabetes have a higher risk of breaking a bone as compared to people without diabetes.3 Moreover, the bone strength in diabetic patients is 10% less than the healthy individuals.4
A Taiwanese study has shown that people with diabetes have a higher risk of developing Avascular Necrosis (AVN) or Osteonecrosis of the femoral head.5 Avascular necrosis is the death of bone tissue caused by the disrupted blood supply to the bone. It commonly affects the hip joint, knee, shoulder, and ankle.
People with diabetes need to take care of their bones. Here are a few tips to help you with it:
- Control your blood sugar level
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Exercise regularly
- Consult a doctor and get your bone health checked.
- Saito M, Fujii K, Mori Y, Marumo K (2006) Role of collagen enzymatic and glycation induced cross-links as a determinant of bone quality in spontaneously diabetic WBN/Kob rats. Osteoporos Int 17(10):1514–1523. DOI: 10.1007/s00198-006-0155-5
- Avery NC, Bailey AJ (2006) The effects of the Maillard reaction on the physical properties and cell interactions of collagen. Pathol Biol (Paris) 54(7):387–395. DOI: 10.1016/j.patbio.2006.07.005
- Vestergaard P (2007) Discrepancies in bone mineral density and fracture risk in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes—a meta-analysis. Osteoporosis Int 18(4):427–444. DOI: 10.1007/s00198-006-0253-4
- Farr JN, Khosla S (2016) Determinants of bone strength and quality in diabetes mellitus in humans. Bone 82:28–34. DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2015.07.027
- https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2018/11/27/dc18-1258.article-info