Prevalence of Diabetes in India

Diabetes has become a household name over the last few years in the country. Why is it that so many
Indians falling prey to it? To understand the reasons for the alarming spike in the increase of diabetes
patients in the country we first need to understand, ‘what is diabetes?’

What is Diabetes?
As per the definition is given by the World Health Organisation (WHO), ’diabetes is a chronic disease
that occurs when our pancreas does not produce enough insulin and or when our body cannot
effectively use the insulin produced by it.’ So, what is this insulin? Insulin is a hormone secreted by the
pancreases that is responsible for maintaining that blood sugar levels in our body. There are two
different types of diabetes that occur in the human body both of which are as explained below.

Different Types of Diabetes

The first form of diabetes is referred to as the ‘Type 1’ diabetes that occurs when our body does not
produce sufficient amount of insulin. The other kind is called the ‘Type 2’ diabetes. Majority of the
people suffer from ‘Type 2’ kind of diabetes. It can easily be prevented by adapting to a healthy lifestyle
early on. As the main cause of Type 2 diabetes is lack of physical activities, obesities or imbalanced diet.

What makes Indian so susceptible to Diabetes?

There are many factors as to why Indians are so susceptible to the Diabetes disease. One of the most
prevalent reasons for that is ‘Genetic Factors.’ Genetic Factors are the main cause for such a fast spread
of this disease in India. Diabetes is one of the most prominent diseases that comes under the medical
problems in the family history section form in any medical checkup form.

Another prominent factor is the cultural and social lifestyle of the Indian families. We Indian have a diet
that is rich in carbohydrates and saturated fats meaning that our intake of calories and sugar is quite
high. We consume more sugar than the actual requirements of our body.

The Urban lifestyle is one the biggest culprit in the spread of diabetes in the Indians. The changes that
have occurred in your lifestyle have led to lesser and lesser physical activities that have led to an
increase in the number of lifestyle diseases, diabetes being one of them. The youth have taken to an
increased consumption of sugary diet which is another prominent reason for them becoming susceptible
to falling prey to diabetes.

But this increase in the number of diabetic patients in India raises another question that is, ‘what is the
diabetes awareness level among Indians?’
Diabetes Awareness Levels in India
An estimated one million Indians die each year due to diabetes. Almost every adult over the age of 40 is
at the risk of diabetes. However, the awareness levels compared to these statistics are next to nothing.
Especially in the rural areas, 50 percent of the people suffering from diabetes have never even heard
about diabetes let alone what it is. Most of the diabetes research program in the country are
undertaken by the private institutions, universities or major pharmaceutical companies. However, the
problem is that their researches and their findings are never made public. Thus, the majority of the
Indians are still in dark about the horrors of diabetes. Only the ones who have seen it’s horror at close
quarters know how deadly this disease can become if left ignored.

Current Diabetes Treatment Options

Diabetes once caused is non-reversible. The only effective treatment for it is the insulin therapy. At the
early stages it oral drugs are also prescribed to control the diabetes levels in the patients. But in the later
stages when there is a high level of blood glucose insulin shots are the only effective treatment. One can
easily procure oral medicines for diabetes at any government hospital or pharmacy across the country.
Other diabetes related problems are a lot difficult to treat some even require surgeries. But the problem
with diabetes patients is unless and until their blood sugar levels are under control they cannot even be
operated upon.

Prevention of Diabetes
Prevention is the best cure for any disease. But given our lifestyle today that option might as well be
ruled out. Lack of exercise, unbalanced diet, unhealthy lifestyle not only invite diabetes but many other
diseases in our bodies. However, if we were to follow a healthy lifestyle, have a balanced diet could help
us in preventing diabetes.

Obese people are at a higher risk of falling prey to diabetes. Regular health checkups are important in
catching these diseases early on. One can even get rid of them if caught right at the beginning. Type 2
diabetes usually goes unnoticed and does not display any signs till it progresses on to higher stages.
Frequent urination, unusual thirst, fatigue, weight loss and wounds taking longer to heal are some
common telltale symptoms of diabetes. But by then it’s usually too late and the patient is dependent on
oral drugs or insulin for his entire life. Thus, it is important to follow a healthy lifestyle.