Medical Students Recommend Exercise for Treatment of Diabetes

The University of Ghana International Medical Students Association (UGIMSA) has highly recommended exercise as part of treatment for diabetes together with proper diet control.

According to a member of the Association, Ifedayo Adedotun, being diagnosed with diabetes is a wake-up call for patients to take proper care of themselves adding that one way to do this is through physical activity.

Speaking at a Medical Outreach held in collaboration with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Bethel Parish, last Sunday, the doctor in training said, exercise could reduce the risk of complications associated with the disease such as poor wound healing of which results in amputation as an intervention in some cases.

“Severe diabetes conditions often end up in amputation…We notice that most people who have diabetes get injuries that don’t heal and that is because of the high sugar or glucose in their blood. Because there is a lot of glucose there, the blood supply that is getting there is very habitable for bacteria and makes the wound get necrotic and eventually that part of the body needs to be cut off,” Ifedayo explained.

But she says exercise could avert such misfortune because, “it (exercise) causes the production of collateral blood vessels which in turn increases the blood supply to the injured part.

“So, if I injure and the blood supply to that area is a lot, the blood brings the nutrients to facilitate healing…so, healing is faster. But if I don’t exercise and there is a lot of fat in the blood vessels, the amount of blood getting there would be poor…the blood vessels close up and when they close up, blood supply to that place is reduced,” she added.

For people who are not type one diabetics, the doctor in training says, Obesity can predispose an individual to the disease but exercising could prevent obesity.

Medical Outreach

The Pastor in Charge of the parish, Pastor Eke Uwa said God was not only interested in the spiritual wellbeing of his worshippers, but that the people should be physically fit too.

“In church we deal more in the spiritual aspect failing to look at the health of the people, that is why we are doing this. We have dedicated this Sunday service to health wellbeing because we realise people are too busy during the week to get checked,” he stated.

Pastor Eke encouraged churches to continually seek the physical wellbeing of members.

The members of the church were taken through series of medical checks and had one-on-one consultation with doctors. Some members with serious complications were referred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment.

The outreach, according to the UGIMSA was their own little way of giving back to society.

According to them diabetes and hypertension are causes of morbidity and they can be prevented and avoided if they are noticed early.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]