Diabetes: The Silent Killer
with India as its favorite
hunting ground - New
In 2021, Diabetes the Silent Killer ranked amongst the top 10 diseases for global deaths. However, it’s the disease which has had the most consistent rise in the last two decades where its share of deaths has nearly doubled since 2000. As per WHO, the number of people with diabetes rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. With 17% of the world’s patients, India is one of the worst affected countries. Given that India has one of the lowest diagnostics rates in the world, experts believe that the figure could be much higher. And not only is the absolute number very high, it is also increasing at an alarming rate.
Research has found that Indians are more susceptible to Diabetes than other ethnicities, although the exact cause for that remains to be established . One strong factor for this could be the shift from a traditional diet to more processed foods, increasing obesity and sedentary life styles. There is also data to suggest that diabetes is triggered by pollution . All of these factors have earned India the dubious title of Diabetes Capital of the world. As per reports, over a 100 million Indians are expected to be diabetic by 2030.
Diabetes What is Diabetes?
In simple terms, diabetes is a defect in our body’s ability to process glucose. Glucose is the primary form of energy for our bodies. However, to turn glucose into energy it is required for it to be transferred to liver, muscles and fat. This transfer process is regulated by the hormone Insulin which is produced by a small organ called pancreas. When the body stops producing enough insulin or stops responding to insulin the way it should, the glucose present in the blood does not get transferred efficiently. And this is where the problem starts.
But why does our body not get rid of excess glucose?
Normally our body is very good at throwing out what it cannot or does not need to digest. This is what happens when you eat or drink in excess or ingest something that the body finds alien. However, glucose is a chemical that our bodies recognise as essential and the excess glucose keeps building up in the blood. This is why diabetes is so dangerous. It does not cause any pain or inconvenience on its own but slowly corrodes the blood vessels in the body. Because blood vessels are the highways of the body, in a manner of speaking, there is no organ that does not get impacted by diabetes Silent Killer. Our organs begin to get lower oxygen and energy, and start to deteriorate. And because this happens over a certain period of time, by the time these effects are diagnosed a lot of damage has already been done.
Diabetes Types of Diabetes
Diabetes is a complex condition and has many variants. The top 3 variants are
1.Type 1 Diabetes: This is a condition where the body attacks the insulin producing cells and as a result goes into insulin deficiency. There is no known cause for Type 1 Diabetes with some possible correlation to genetics. Type 1 diabetes is also called juvenile diabetes since it typically tends to strike young children. Roughly 10% of diabetes cases worldwide are type 1 diabetes.
2.Type 2 Diabetes: This is a condition where the body does not produce enough insulin or is not able to utilise it properly resulting in a spike in blood sugar. Type 2 Diabetes makes up roughly 80% to 85% of all the diabetes cases. While genetics play a part in this, factors like sedentary lifestyle, obesity, food habits have a very strong correlation.
3.Gestational Diabetes: Occurs among women during pregnancy and usually disappears within 6-8 weeks of delivery. However, if not treated with care, there is very high chance of Gestational Diabetes leading to Type 2 Diabetes within 4 to 5 years.
What are the main symptoms of Diabetes?
While Diabetes is called a silent killer, it does give warning signs. Here are some of the key signs that a person might have Diabetes:
1.Increased thirst (polydipsia) and dry mouth.
2.Frequent urination particularly during the night
3.Chronic Fatigue
4.Sudden problems in Eyesight
5.Rapid and unexplained weight loss
6.Numbness or tingling in your hands or feet
7.Slow-healing sores or cuts & frequent skin infectionsIn case of any of the above symptoms you should contact your doctor immediately. While Diabetes is a serious and largely uncurable condition, it is fully manageable if a person adheres to a healthy lifestyle and follows medical advice. As a diabetic, you can lead a full and active life. All you need is awareness and a will to act.
References
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/why-india-is-diabetes-capital-of-the-world/articleshow/95509990.cms
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/nov/01/air-pollution-raises-risk-of-type-2-diabetes-says-landmark-indian-study-acc
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/types-of-diabetesConclusion
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