India: The Diabetic Capital Of The World

Today India is called the diabetics capital of world as diabetes management in India seems to be very weak. India, a country experiencing rapid socioeconomic progress and urbanization, carries a considerable share of the global diabetes burden. Studies in different parts of India have demonstrated an escalating prevalence of diabetes not only in urban populations, but also in rural populations as a result of the urbanization of lifestyle parameters. The prevalence of prediabetes is also high. Recent studies have shown a rapid conversion of impaired glucose tolerance to diabetes in the southern states of India, where the prevalence of diabetes among adults has reached approximately 20% in urban populations and approximately 10% in rural populations. Because of the considerable disparity in the availability and affordability of diabetes care, as well as low awareness of the disease, the glycemic outcome in treated patients is far from ideal. Lower age at onset and a lack of good glycemic control are likely to increase the occurrence of vascular complications. The economic burden of treating diabetes and its complications is considerable. It is appropriate that the Indian Government has initiated a national program for the management and prevention of diabetes and related metabolic disorders. Lifestyle modification is an effective tool for the primary prevention of diabetes in Asian Indians. The primary prevention of diabetes is urgently needed in India to curb the rising burden of diabetes.
The International Diabetes Federation recently published findings revealing that in 2007, the country with the largest numbers of people with diabetes is India (40.9 million), followed by China (39.8 million), the United States (19.2 million), Russia (9.6 million) and Germany (7.4 million).

Some other alarming diabetes statistics include the fact that there is one person in the world dying of diabetes every ten seconds. Also, there will be two new diabetic cases in the world being identified every ten seconds. And, what’s worse, these statistics also tell us that by the year 2025, there will be seven million new diabetic cases in the world.

In India, there are going to be eighty percent of all diabetics from the entire world population concentrated here - this makes India the diabetic capital of the world. Also, these diabetes statistics show that the disease is not one that affects only the rich, though it is most likely to affect those with a sedentary lifestyle and who consume diets that are mainly unhealthy.

For the purpose of classification, the disease can be classified in the following three groups:
• Type 1 Diabetes
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Gestational Diabetes
The alarming figure of diabetes prevalence in India made the government start a National Diabetes Control Program in 1987. The program was started on a pilot basis in some districts of Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka. The Government is serious about controlling the disease and for this purpose various educational, training and support programs are being run.

By: Ajay B

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