Many of us may feel guilty for taking a gulp of sweetened carbonated beverage whenever we’re feeling thirsty. If you’re one who does that often, perhaps this story will convince you to change your habits.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, a 30-year-old man named Mr Wang drank soft drinks “like water” and was recently found with blood sugar level 20 times higher than the safe levels.
He died shortly after.
Last Tuesday (6 Aug), the man from Jiangsu Province complained about feeling weak and thirsty. He also felt the urge to visit the toilet more often than usual.
Mr Wang thought it was just a heatstroke and did not seek medical help immediately. Instead, he reportedly consumed more carbonated sweet drinks to quench his thirst.
Unfortunately for him, the symptoms only worsened.
Under his friends’ advice, Mr Wang finally visited a hospital on 6 Aug.
There, doctors found that Mr Wang was severely overweight — he was 1.78m tall but weighed a whopping 113kg.
That’s not all. Mr Wang’s blood sugar level was allegedly as high as 110 mmol/L — 20 times higher than the normal levels of 3-6 mmol/L.
Oriental Daily also reported that doctors found his body fluids and tissues to be excessively acidic, and he had unusually high amounts of potassium in his body.
Mr Wang was diagnosed with hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome – a complication of type 2 diabetes – and sadly passed on shortly after.
Doctors at the Suzhou University of Science and Technology later said that even though Mr Wang was young, he was unaware of his diabetic condition and continued to consume large amounts of carbonated drinks.
This, coupled with the fact that he was severely dehydrated exacerbated his condition and finally led to his demise.
If there’s a lesson to be learnt from this incident, it’s that we should all consume sweetened drinks in moderation and go for health checkups occasionally.
MS News sends our condolences to friends and family of the late Mr Wang.
If you know someone who loves drinking sweet carbonated drinks all the time, share this with them. Who knows, you might very well be saving their lives.
Featured image adapted from Approved Food.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
He crossed the border daily in hopes of buying a house for his family.
On a few days, the thundery showers might extend into the night.
His church has urged parishioners to refrain from visiting him as he heals.
The kitten will be put up for adoption after its injuries are cured.
The toasts were barely a few centimetres thick.