Diabetes growing at alarming rate: Study

Mumbai: An analysis of over 10.21lakh blood sugar levels of men, women and children revealed that an overwhelming percentage of them had diabetes. An estimated 65.1 million people in India are affected with diabetes and the prevalence is expected to reach around 69.9 million by 2025.

The survey was carried out by Metropolis Healthcare that tested the samples for fasting blood sugar over the last three years. It found out that over 60% of men, 51% women and 28% children between the age group of 0-12 were diabetic.

“India is already infamous as the diabetic capital of the world and the incidence is increasing due to various factors, such as unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activity, family history and stress. Diabetes is a lifelong condition and requires regular monitoring. People with diabetes are susceptible to kidney dysfunction, cardiovascular diseases, neurological problems and much more. Diabetics need to undergo regular tests and monitoring to ensure that all their vital parameters are normal,” said Dr Sonali Kolte of Metropolis.

While Type-1 diabetes lasts a lifetime, many people suffering from Type -2 diabetes have managed to get rid of their symptoms through a combination of exercise, diet and body weight control. If diabetes is not adequately controlled the patient has a significantly higher risk of developing complications related to cardiovascular diseases, neurological problems and many more.