Qutub Minar - the archaeological monument of India in New Delhi Lit Blue to Create Awareness About Diabetes on Sunday last - the 10th Nov. 2013.
The World Diabetes Day logo is the ''blue circle'' - the global symbol for diabetes which was developed as part of the Unite for Diabetes awareness campaign. The logo was adopted in 2007 to mark the passage of the United Nations World Diabetes Day Resolution. It is a simple icon that can be easily adapted and widely adopted, the circle symbolizes life and health. The colour blue reflects the sky that unites all nations. The blue circle signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes pandemic.
India emerging as the ‘diabetes capital’ of the world.
As per data and atlas released by ''International Diabetes Federation ( IDF )'' today (14.11.2013), India being home to 65 million Indians suffering from diabetes in 2013, is emerging as the ''Diabetes Capital of of the world''.
For once India is fast catching up with China. But rather than being a matter of celebration this development is bound to ring alarm bells all over. India faces a major challenge to rein in its growing diabetic count. India with 65 million diabetic patients is just next to China (98 million) in the race to become the diabetes capital of the world.
* By 2030, India's diabetics numbers are expected to cross the 100-million mark, according to this 2013 report of the International Diabetes Federation.
* WHO projects that in the next ten years, deaths from diabetes will increase by 35 percent.
KEY MESSAGES RELEASED BY IDF TODAY ABOUT THE SITUATION ....
* 382 million people worldwide have diabetes in 2013.
* 382 million people worldwide have diabetes in 2013.
* By 2035 this will rise to 592 million.
* 90% of the cases are of type 2 diabetes.
* The number of people with type 2 diabetes is increasing in every country.
* 80% of people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries.
* The greatest number of people with diabetes are between 40 and 59 years of age.
SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES MELLITUS :
Individuals can experience different signs and symptoms of diabetes, and sometimes there may be no signs/symptoms. It has been seen that nearly 50% of the people don't know they have diabetes. Some of the basic symptoms commonly experienced include:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Increased hunger
- Weight loss
- Tiredness
- Lack of interest and concentration
- A tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet
- Blurred vision
- Frequent infections
- Slow-healing wounds
- Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as the flu)
The development of type 1 diabetes (in children) is usually sudden and dramatic while the symptoms can often be mild or absent in people with type 2 diabetes (adults), making this type of diabetes hard to detect.
If you show these signs and symptoms, consult a health professional.
The Indian Scenario :
The India situation is grim what with sedentary lifestyle prevailing across key metros and big cities aggravating the situation. “Diabetes is the result of our habitual sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, obesity, stress and consumption of diets rich in fat, sugar and calories. In India sugar consumption is much higher in the form of sweets consumed on various occasions leading to higher risk of diabetes.”
The major chunk of Indian population suffering from this disease has Type 2 diabetes which is closely associated with obesity and consumption of sweets, junk and fast foods especially in metropolitan cities.
Diabetic and obese people are more prone to Non – Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).
“Of all the diabetic patients, there is a chance of two–third of them to have fatty liver disease.”
In order to make India diabetes free, the Government of India has initiated a National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) in 100 selected districts in 21 States. Thirty districts were taken up during 2010-11 and remaining 70 Districts have been added during 2011-12. The community based strategies and activities include prevention and control of diabetes at various levels like at sub-centres, Community Health Centre (CHC), district hospital and at various other places through screening of all persons above 30 years of age and all pregnant women, awareness generation on healthy life style and management of non- communicable diseases by establishing cardiac care units at district hospitals and community health centres of 100 selected districts of 21 states in the country.
This effort, however, has yet to show any major changes in the spread of the disease in the country. “Diabetes is a serious condition killing more people than other deadly diseases like AIDS and cancer.”
“One-third of the diabetics develop coronary artery heart disease (CAD), irrespective of the precaution they take and death of 80% diabetics can be attributed to CAD,” Around 50 to 60 million Indians suffer from heart disease and if figures are further further explained, every 10th Indian suffers with either CAD or diabetes.
Diabetes is a multi system disorder and it attacks people in many ways.
First it alters lipid metabolism, precipitates clotting in the artery and then damages artery walls.
“The most vulnerable are those who have a family history of diabetes. For them, regular blood & urine sugar level check-ups after the age of 35 years is mandatory, which is the best way to prevent disease” . When people from the vulnerable group go for preventive test, they should ensure that urine micro-albumin is included in the test as well.
For diabetic patients, the sugar test should also be considered important where fasting level should be below 110, random between 140 and 160 and the range for the 2-hour glucose test should be 150 to 180.
Apart from these clinical precautions diet is another factor, which can help check the impact of diabetes on the heart. “For diabetics, controlled intake of carbohydrates is one of the important factors in diet management.
As per statistics, about 50% diabetics develop kidney problems. Many develop eye, neural, skin, joint, infection, immune system problems. But by checking their vulnerability status and with regular tests, further ailments could be prevented.
Prevention :
At present, type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. The environmental triggers that are thought to generate the process that results in the destruction of the body’s insulin-producing cells are still under investigation.
There is a lot of evidence that lifestyle changes (achieving a healthy body weight and moderate physical activity) can help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
Obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, is linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. Weight loss improves insulin resistance and reduces hypertension. People who are overweight or obese should therefore be encouraged to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
Physical activity is one of the main pillars in the prevention of diabetes. Increased physical activity is important in maintaining weight loss and is linked to reduced blood pressure, reduced resting heart rate, increased insulin sensitivity, improved body composition and psychological well-being.
A balanced and nutritious diet is essential for health. A healthy diet reduces risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
Other behaviors to consider include :
Smoking : a well-established risk factor for many chronic diseases, including diabetes and its complications. As well as other harmful effects, smoking increases abdominal fat accumulation and insulin resistance. All smokers should be encouraged to quit smoking. However, weight gain is common when quitting smoking and therefore dietary advice on avoiding weight gain should also be given (e.g. managing cravings and withdrawal symptoms by using short bouts of physical activity as a stress-relief activity, rather than eating snacks).
Other behaviors to consider include :
Smoking : a well-established risk factor for many chronic diseases, including diabetes and its complications. As well as other harmful effects, smoking increases abdominal fat accumulation and insulin resistance. All smokers should be encouraged to quit smoking. However, weight gain is common when quitting smoking and therefore dietary advice on avoiding weight gain should also be given (e.g. managing cravings and withdrawal symptoms by using short bouts of physical activity as a stress-relief activity, rather than eating snacks).
Stress and depression : There is evidence of a link between depression and both diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Sleeping patterns : Both short sleep duration may be associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Sleep deprivation may impair the balance of hormones regulating food intake and energy balance. Long sleep duration may be a sign of sleep-disordered breathing or depression and should be treated appropriately. There is also a close association between obesity and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA), the most common form of sleep disordered breathing.
A simple prescription for diabetic care :
A healthy per day calorie intake should be between 1,500-1,800 calories with a proportion of 60:20:20 between carbohydrates, fats and proteins, respectively.
“For people with diabetes, healthy eating is not simply a matter of what one eats, but also when one eats.”
As regards the choice of food intake, the diet most often recommended is high in dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, but low in fat (especially saturated fat). The food ought to reflect a balance with all the food groups and veggies being the largest part of the meal.
Healthy eating for type 2 diabetes is about losing weight and preventing dangerous spikes in blood sugar.
Nine foods you should be eating for diabetes are :
Non Starchy Leafy Veggies
Beans
Avocado
Non Fat Yogurt
Almonds
Oat Meal
Egg White
Fish
Wild Salmon
The Future :
In the next 17 years, India, China and the US would have the largest number of diabetics.
It is estimated that every fifth person with diabetes will be an Indian.
Due to this, the economic burden due to diabetes in India is amongst the highest in the world.
As per WHO estimates, mortality from diabetes, heart disease and stroke cost about $210 billion in India in 2005.
Much of the heart disease and stroke in these estimates was linked to diabetes.
Diabetes, heart disease and stroke together would cost about $ 333.6 billion over the next 10 years in India alone, estimates WHO.
