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More than half of 20-year-olds in India's metros 'likely to develop diabetes' in lifetime

More than half of 20-year-olds in India's metros 'likely to develop diabetes' in lifetime
More than half of 20-year-olds 'likely to develop diabetes in lifetime'.

As urban centres continue to grow rapidly across India, they said decreasing diet quality, and decreased levels of physical activity are all contributing to this hidden epidemic.

Written by Satata Karmakar |Updated : November 26, 2020 9:27 AM IST

Diabetes is a chronic hormonal disease, which causes high levels of sugar in the blood. It is a result of either the lack of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, or your body's inability to respond to this hormone. High blood sugar levels caused by the lack of this hormone is called type 1 diabetes. It is a genetic condition caused by faulty genes that make this chemical and affects mostly young adults and teenagers. When your blood sugar levels escalate due to the failure of response to this hormone,it is known as type 2 diabetes.

A new study has shown that more than half of men and nearly two-thirds of women currently aged 20 years in India could develop diabetes in their lifetime, with most of those cases likely to be type 2 diabetes.

The research, published in the journal Diabetologia, estimated the probability of a metropolitan Indian of any age or body mass index (BMI) developing diabetes in their lifetime.

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According to the scientists, including those from the Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC) in New Delhi, the country already has a significant health burden caused by diabetes with more than 77 million adults currently afflicted by the condition, and the number expected to almost double to 134 million by 2045.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES?

As urban centres continue to grow rapidly across India, they said decreasing diet quality, and decreased levels of physical activity are all contributing to this hidden epidemic.

In the study, the researchers assessed age-, sex- and BMI-specific incidence rates of diabetes in urban India based on data from the Centre for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia (2010-2018).

They also analysed the age-, sex- and urban-specific rates of mortality from period lifetables reported by the Government of India (2014), and the prevalence of diabetes reported by the Indian Council for Medical Research INdia DIABetes study (2008-2015).

Based on the analysis, the scientists said the lifetime risk of developing diabetes in 20-year-old men and women free of diabetes today is 56 and 65 per cent, respectively.

WOMAN ARE ARE HIGHER RISK OF DEVELOPING DIABETES

Women generally had a higher lifetime risk across the lifespan, the study noted.

According to the researchers, for those currently aged 60 years and currently free of diabetes, around 38 per cent of women and 28 per cent of men would go on to develop diabetes.

They cautioned that obesity had a substantial impact on these projections, with the lifetime risk highest among obese metropolitan Indians -- 86 per cent among 20-year-old women, and 87 per cent among men.

People with lower BMI had considerably higher diabetes-free life expectancy and obese 20-year-olds were estimated to have around half of their remaining life years free from diabetes.

However, those with normal or underweight BMI were projected to live out most of their remaining years diabetes-free, the scientists said.

"The remarkably high lifetime risk of developing diabetes and the low diabetes-free life expectancy in India's metropolitan cities, especially for individuals with high BMI, implies that interventions targeting the incidence of diabetes may be of paramount importance moving forward," the researchers noted in the study.

INDIA'S METROS HAVE HIGH PROBABILITY OF DEVELOPING DIABETES

They noted that metropolitan Indians at every age and BMI have an alarmingly high probability of developing diabetes compared with results from high-income countries and that proactive efforts to prevent diabetes in cities are urgently needed.

According to the scientists, this is particularly needed given the rapid increase in "urban obesogenic environments" across the country.

In addition to these risk factors, the scientists said Indians already have a relatively high predisposition to developing the condition at both lower ages and lower BMIs when compared with white European populations.

"Such high probabilities of developing diabetes will have severely negative implications for India's already strained health system and also out-of-pocket expenditure on diabetes treatment by patients unless diabetes is immediately acknowledged for what it is," said study co-author Shammi Luhar from the University of Cambridge in the UK.

"Despite these very high predicted lifetime risks of diabetes, it is possible to prevent or postpone diabetes by effective lifestyle modification, such as following a healthy diet, by increasing physical activity and reducing body weight in those who are obese or overweight," added Viswanathan Mohan, another co-author of the research from the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in Chennai.

THE NEED OF THE HOUR

The scientists believe the need of the hour is policy and investment with clearly spelt out targets and commitments to meet by 2030.

"Perhaps an aspirational target of '90-90-90' (90 per cent of people with diabetes detected, 90 per cent of those detected treated, and 90 per cent of those treated controlled), is imminently needed," said study co-author Nikhil Tandon from the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

"Such a target could operate in the same way as the 90-90-90 targets introduced some years ago for HIV, which has since been replaced by even more ambitious 95-95-95 targets," Tandon added.

SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES

In diabetes, the body is unable to absorb glucose which leads to a host of problems. Here are some of the symptoms that could indicate diabetes:

Excessive hunger: Diabetes hinders the entry of glucose into your cells from the bloodstream, making you hungry and tired too. This happens due to the insufficient production of insulin or ineffective usage of this hormone.

Frequent urination: When blood sugar levels go up, your body makes more urine. This makes you pee more often. Another outcome: You feel thirsty.

Dehydration: Overproduction of urine depletes your body of moisture. That is why you feel dehydrated.

Slow healing of injuries: Poor blood circulation caused by high sugar levels can lead to nerve damage. This, in turn, makes it difficult for your body to repair any sort of damage.

Yeast infection: Glucose helps the yeast to thrive. So, people with long-term diabetes are likely to get this fungal infection.

Unexplained weight loss: This is typically one of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes. Lack of insulin doesn't allow food to be broken down into glucose. So your body can't rely on foods for energy. Instead, it uses your fat and muscles for energy. That's how you end up losing weight without even trying.

Mood swings: This happens because of inadequate glucose supply and nutrition to the brain. You may suddenly feel irritated for no reason. Depression is also another symptom of diabetes.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM DIABETES?

Diabetes prevention is as basic as eating more healthfully, becoming more physically active, and losing a few extra pounds. It's never too late to start. Making a few simple changes in your lifestyle now may help you avoid the serious health complications of diabetes in the future, such as nerve, kidney, and heart damage. Consider these diabetes prevention tips:

Cut Sugar And Refined Carbohydrates From Your Diet

Consumption of sugary foods or saturated sugar does not lead to diabetes always. Eating foods high in refined carbohydrates and sugar increases blood sugar and insulin levels, which may lead to diabetes over time. Some of the examples of refined carbohydrates include white bread, potatoes, and many breakfast cereals. Switch to a healthy diet with more greens and choose complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, oatmeal, and whole grains.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking water has many health benefits which you all know by now. An individual should drink a minimum of 7-8 glasses of water every day to keep the internal system clean and going. Drinking water instead of other beverages can help control blood sugar and insulin levels, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes.

Do Not Smoke

Diabetes doesn't come with age. A small child to an aged person can get diabetes and thus controlling it without thinking that you are not even that aged to get diabetes is a wrong conception you must get rid of right now! Smoking is a bad habit and you all know why. So, if you are a current tobacco user, you must know that smoking can contribute to insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. Quitting has been shown to reduce this risk of type 2 diabetes over time.

Exercise Regularly

Exercising regularly is one of the best preventive measures one can adopt to get rid of various diseases. Diabetes is also one of these diseases which can be prevented if you exercise regularly. Moderate physical activity on most days of the week helps manage weight, reduce blood glucose levels, and may also improve blood pressure and cholesterol.

Shed Some Of Those Extra Pounds

If you're overweight, diabetes prevention may hinge on weight loss. Every pound you lose can improve your health, and you may be surprised by how much. Participants in one large study who lost a modest amount of weight around 7 percent of initial body weight and exercised regularly reduced the risk of developing diabetes by almost 60%.

Changing the habits of a lifetime isn't easy, but it's worth the effort. If you see symptoms of diabetes then the first thing you should be doing is to visit a doctor immediately.

(With inputs from agencies)