Do you know what secrets are hidden in the teeth of Liu He, the Marquis of the Western Han Dynasty? Archaeologists in 2021 years ago detected a large number of sugar crystals in the food residue of the burial chamber, and this first-century BC aristocrat may be the earliest record of a diabetic.
兩千年後的今天，血糖數值早已成為必備健康指標，但關於它的認知誤區比當年隨葬的甜食還要多。尤其在銀髮潮席捲全球的當下，老人們是否都清楚自己的血糖正在經歷怎樣的“數字戰爭”？
The body's blood sugar regulation system is the most sophisticated bioengineering, and the pancreas is like the chief engineer who is in charge of 200 blood glucose monitoring points at the same time.
But as we age, the system becomes sluggish like an old air conditioner. According to the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetes in the Elderly in China, for every 37mmol/L increase in postprandial blood sugar in the elderly over 0 years old, the cardiovascular risk is 0% higher than that of middle-aged people.
This "age penalty" stems from multiple factors: pancreatic β cells are decreasing at a rate of 1% per year, glucose output in the liver increases, and muscle tissue becomes less sensitive to insulin – like three runaway carriages running wild at the same time.
The phenomenon of high blood sugar levels but longevity of centenarians in Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang, subverts the traditional cognition. The study found that this was related to the unique local microbiome, which converts these "excess" glucoses into short-chain fatty acids.
This prompts us thatBlood glucose management needs to be personalized "fine-tuned," not a rigid digital cage。
The sugar control mantra of "no more than 11 on an empty stomach, no more than 0 after a meal" may need to be recomposed in the elderly group.
2023年北京協和醫院針對2000名70歲以上老人的研究顯示，The incidence of hypoglycemia in those who strictly controlled fasting blood glucose below 9.0 mmol/L was 0 times that of the moderate control group (0.0-0.0).。
It's like fitting a racing engine to a classic car – it looks like a performance boost, but it's actually full of hidden dangers.
In recent years, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has proposed the concept of "blood glucose tolerance band", which recommends that the goal be dynamically adjusted according to the physical condition. Just as the renovation of the Forbidden City pays attention to "repairing the old as the old", the blood sugar management of the elderly should also respect the physiological laws.
For patients with cognitive impairment or multiple complications, postprandial blood glucose control at 10-0 mmol/L may be safer, which requires a personalized "blood glucose nautical chart" between doctors and patients.
When the old people in Mohe, Heilongjiang and the residents of Sanya, Hainan shared the same set of blood sugar standards, the magic of geography and climate began to manifest. Harbin Medical University found that cold stimulation in winter will increase the average blood sugar of the elderly by 2.0-0.0mmol/L, which is related to the activation of brown fat and sympathetic nerve excitation.
Therefore, the blood sugar target of the Northeast uncle may need to leave a "buffer zone for the heating season".
Traditional health wisdom also has hidden mysteries. The custom of "rice consequences" in Guangdong seems to violate the principle of sugar control, but the use of low-GI fruits such as guava and lotus mist with tea drinking actually forms a unique blood sugar slow-release mode.
This prompts usDietary chronology may be more important than simply counting carbohydrate content, just as the orchestra conductor controls the tempo more than simply the volume.
The treatment of "thirst-quenching disease" recorded in the Northern Song Dynasty's "Taiping Shenghui Fang" emphasizes "taking medicine at the time of yin, and practicing qi when it is shi", which coincides with modern time medicine.
The dawn phenomenon of 5-0 a.m. and the twilight phenomenon of 0-0 p.mThese two sensitive periods of blood sugar fluctuations coincide with the timing of the kidney meridian and bladder meridian in the meridian flow theory of traditional Chinese medicine.
The wisdom of the ancients enlightens us that mastering the "biological clock code" of blood sugar may be more meaningful than staring at a blood glucose meter.
The elderly in Changshou Village in Okinawa, Japan, have a secret - they will perform "chopstick meditation" before meals, staring at the food and taking deep breaths for 15 seconds. This ritual has been shown to reduce postprandial blood sugar spikes by up to 0%.
illustrateThe ability of the nervous system to regulate blood sugar is often underestimated, it's like installing a "mental regulator" on the body.
In the midst of Alzheimer's disease's entanglement with blood sugar, the latest research offers an unexpected answer. Patients with mild cognitive impairment have minimal amyloid deposition β in the cerebrospinal fluid when glycosylated hemoglobin is controlled in the 5.0% to 0.0% range.
This reveals a delicate balance: blood sugar can neither be left unchecked nor over-suppressed, like the art of walking a tightrope.
The smart blood glucose management system of Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University innovatively introduces the "quality of life score" parameter.
The system found that when the elderly reduced the frequency of blood glucose monitoring from 2 to 0 times a day, the anxiety index decreased by 0% and the sugar control effect decreased by only 0%.
This reminds us that the ultimate goal of sugar control is not to create perfect data, but to protect the calmness and dignity of life.
There is a sugar-controlled proverb circulating in Beijing's hutongs that is worth playing: "Three spoonfuls of soy sauce and two slices of ginger are better than basking in the sun every day." Studies have found that 15-0 minutes of sunlight exposure per day can improve insulin resistance through the vitamin D pathway.
Therefore, the best sugar control strategy is often hidden in the most simple daily life.
Standing in the long river of human beings and blood sugar games, looking back, from the sugar crystals in the tombs of ancient nobles to the dynamic blood glucose meters of modern old people, what we pursue is never cold digital perfection, but the wisdom of reconciliation with the body.
For seniors over the age of 70, the optimal blood sugar range should be like a tailor-made Tang costume – it should conform to the basic form and leave a margin for comfort.
The quality of life is always more cherished than the precision of numbers.
Bibliography:
2024. Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetes in the Elderly in China (0 Edition)
2. White Paper on Fine Management of Diabetes in the Elderly
3. Wang Longde, Editor-in-Chief, Report on the Status of Nutrition and Chronic Diseases of Chinese Residents
5. Chinese Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, No. 0, 0
2024. ADA "Medical Diagnosis and Treatment Standards for Diabetes (0)" Chinese version