Diabetes and its current scenario

At present there are around 171 million diabetic people all over the world, and India accounts for more than 40 million who are likely to reach 70 million by 2025. Diabetes doesn’t even spare the young Indians as 11.1 % adult males and 10.8 % adult females are suffering from it.

Diabetes eventually result sin many fatal diseases such as stroke and heart attack, and, as per WHO estimates, mortality from diabetes including heart disease, kidney failure and others cost India $210 billion in 2005. It would cost India $ 333.6 billion over the decade.

Majority of the young Indians falling prey to this disease are suffering from Type 1 diabetes which makes an individual highly vulnerable to stroke and kidney failure.

Up to 40 % of young people with type 1 diabetes may be at risk of kidney disease, a complication which also increases the risk of heart disease. Every year, too many people with type 1 diabetes experience  kidney failure and heart disease as a result of their diabetes and this can have a really devastating effect on their lives.

Obesity is believed to be the root cause for diabetes and cosmopolitan lifestyle has made life of young Indians fast which alienates us from physical activity.

Our country is inching closer to two interlinked epidemics – obesity and type 2 diabetes. It is well-established that increasing physical activity and reducing obesity plays an important role in reducing risk of diabetes. A number of studies show that Weight loss surgery benefits overweight patients with type 2diabetes. Long-term follow up showed that patients continued to have improvements in their diabetes, as well as a reduction in risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

 The problem is lack of awareness, especially among the rural population. There is a need to organise regular free screening camps to identify the risk factors and the pre-diabetic stage so that full blown diabetes can be prevented through lifestyle modifications. Just administering diabetic medicines is not enough. Doctors should be trained to counsel the patients about diet, proper care and lifestyle so that diabetes can be under control. Sadly, due to lack of awareness, most of the patients from low socio-economic groups turn up with end stage renal failure requiring dialysis, retinopathy or a diabetic foot that is gangrene-in.