In India, Diabetes Is Fast Becoming A Disease Of The Poor

In India, diabetes is fast becoming a disease of the poor

Two years ago, 49-year-old Ramachandran, a resident of Kolkata, underwent a regular medical check-up and was told that he was pre-diabetic. Even though he changed his diet to control his blood sugar levels, after a year he found that he was losing weight unusually and that his vision was blurring.
“I was also feeling a burning sensation while passing urine,” he said. “I found minor cuts and bruises in my private parts.”
In September last year, Ramachandran was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Ramachandran is an engineer from a middle-income background. It is among people like Ramachandran that diabetes is on the rise.
Diabetes has long been a disease of affluence but small regional studies in recent years have indicated that, in India, it has been slowly spreading among lower income groups. However, an ongoing national survey of diabetes called the Indian Council of Medical Research – India Diabetes or simply ICMR-INDIAB study finds that many more people from middle-income and poor communities are becoming diabetic.
The ICMR-INDIAB study is the largest national representative of diabetes and includes data from more than 57,000 people across 15 states, both in rural and urban areas. The study represents 363·7 million people or 51% of India’s adult population. Similar previous studies have been only regional with small sample sizes, low response rates and with varied diagnostic criteria. For this study, the researchers considered each person’s bodyweight, height, waist circumference and blood pressure and used glucose tolerance tests to diagnose diabetes and pre Continue reading

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Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes: Causes, Signs, Symptoms & Prevention

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose or blood sugar levels are so high that your body can't use it. Normally, the pancreas release insulin to help your body store and use sugar and fat from the food we eat. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas produce no insulin or very little insulin, or when the body does not respond appropriately to insulin. Diabetes is a metabolism disorder that cannot be cured as it is a life-long condition. It is entirely dependent on the way our body uses digested food for growth and energy. It is a long-term condition in which along with blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels should be monitored regularly, as those with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular problems.
Three types of Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2
Type 1: This is a situation where the pancreas does not produce any insulin.
Type 2: The most common type, now found both in adults and children, this is the kind where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin for the body. Type 2 Diabetes can be controlled with a healthy and active lifestyle - by managing your weight, eating nutritious food and exercising regularly.
Some common symptoms of diabetes are hunger pangs, fatigue, frequent urination, weight gain and itchy skin. If diabetes is not managed, it can lead to eye complications like glaucoma and cataracts, hypertension, gum diseases, erectile dysfunction in males, infections and also wounds that take longer to heal.
While these are the most common causes, there are two main factors that lead to diabetes. One is when pancreas produces in Continue reading

Diabetes Testing: Type 2 Diabetes

The who, what, where, and why of diabetes testing
Everyone knows that Type 2 diabetes is a serious, long-term health condition that impairs bodily function, threatens quality of life, and can lead to other complications. And almost everyone knows that its incidence and prevalence are on the rise globally.
So why aren’t people routinely being tested for diabetes?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), through 2014, 21 million people had been diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. alone. And the American Diabetes Association (ADA) reports 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed each year. These numbers are expected to increase, because
• More of the population is aging;
• More people are eating unhealthy diets; and
• Physical inactivity is on the rise.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called diabetes a hidden global pandemic because, although it isn’t infectious or communicable, the number of people diagnosed with the condition is growing annually. It can lead to blindness, limb amputation, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. It overburdens health-care systems and reduces quality of life for patients and their families.
Given the increasing diagnoses, and the growing awareness of Type 2, it is imperative everyone knows the risk factors and the who, what, where, and why of getting tested for diabetes. By learning how you can help friends and loved ones determine their risk of diabetes, you could save a life.
Who is at risk?
Common risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes include
• Being over age 40;
• Having obesity or excess weight;
• Having a Continue reading

Do I Have Diabetes?

More than 29 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and about 8 million of them don’t know they have it. So now is as good a time as any to find out if you (or a loved one) might have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
First, a couple of definitions:
• Type 1 (T1) diabetes: The body’s immune system attacks the insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas, and, as a result, the body stops making insulin. Those with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin to survive. Type 1 affects both children and adults, and accounts for between 5% and 10% of those who have diabetes.
• Type 2 (T2) diabetes: The body doesn’t use insulin efficiently (a condition called insulin resistance) and/or doesn’t make enough insulin to keep blood sugar (glucose) levels in a safe range. Type 2 diabetes can be managed with lifestyle changes, but many people need to take medication, including insulin. Type 2 accounts for 90% to 95% of diabetes cases.
Risk factors
Type 1 diabetes risk factors include:
• Family history: Having a parent or sibling with Type 1.
• Age: Anyone at any age can get Type 1, but there’s a strong prevalence in children ages 4–7 and ages 10–14.
• Race/ethnicity: Caucasians are at higher risk than African-Americans and Hispanics.
• Viral infection: Viruses including Epstein-Barr, mumps, and Coxsackie may increase the risk for Type 1.
• Geography: People living in northern climates have a higher risk for getting Type 1.
• Autoimmune conditions: Other autoimmune conditions, such as thyroid disease, celiac disease, and pernicious anemia, are associated with an increased r Continue reading