Statement on the Occasion of World Diabetes Day-2025

Theme for Year: "Quality Sleep Without the Blue Light of Mobile Phones"
UNESCO Chair in Interdisciplinary Research in Diabetes, University of Tehran, Iran

Today, on the eve of World Diabetes Day, we have an opportunity to raise public awareness about one of the most serious global health challenges. Understanding the connection between oxidative stress, lifestyle, and diabetes is a key preventive measure.

Oxidative stress, a destructive cellular factor, occurs when the balance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body is disrupted. This imbalance damages cells, including the beta cells of the pancreas responsible for insulin production, and can exacerbate or initiate insulin resistance and, ultimately, type 2 diabetes.

Adopting a good lifestyle is the most powerful weapon for breaking this cycle. A diet rich in natural antioxidants and regular physical activity not only help directly reduce oxidative stress but also improve insulin sensitivity and manage body weight.

On this path, good, quality sleep plays a vital role. Sufficient and deep sleep provides the necessary time for cellular repair and reducing levels of oxidative stress. To achieve this goal, creating a calm sleep environment free from disruptive factors is essential. One of the most important of these factors is the blue light from mobile phone screens, which disrupts the natural sleep rhythm and diminishes its quality. Therefore, making a habit of putting aside mobile phones at least one hour before sleep is an investment in metabolic health and diabetes prevention. Find quality sleep, that precious human jewel.

Let us mark this World Diabetes Day by pledging to make smart lifestyle choices including healthy nutrition, adequate physical activity, and restful sleep without mobile phones to build a strong shield against oxidative stress and take a significant step towards preventing diabetes.