Diabetes killing more than 2 lakh Indians every year

With the World Health Organisation (WHO) red-flagging deaths of more than 2,00,000 Indians every year from diabetes, Indian medical researchers have suggested a modified set of treatment protocols to treat millions of Indians, who are silently becoming diabetic patients.

According to the WHO, diabetes kills 2,20,000 Indians each year, and a majority of them — almost 125,000 — die at the productive age of 30-69 years.

India has nearly 6.3 crore cases of diabetes and the numbers are expected to rise to 10.1 crore by 2030, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

“For various reasons, algorithms developed and validated in developed nations may not be relevant or applicable to Indian patients. Any treatment decision in India should take into account not only these differences but also socio-economic and cultural factors, such as dietary practices,” said Anoop Misra, a former professor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Misra is one of the key members of the India diabetes management algorithm proposal group — a congregation of 40 senior doctors from government and private hospitals from all over the country — which proposed the new treatment protocols and guidelines.

“It has long been recognised that type 2 diabetes in Asian Indians differs significantly from that found in white Caucasians. There is a clear need for developing specific guidelines for the pharmacotherapy of type 2 diabetes in this population,” said Misra, who is currently the chairman of Fortis Center for Diabetes, Obesity, Metabolic Diseases, and Endocrinology in Delhi.

Indians have more fat in their liver and pancreas, which is bad for metabolism. The disease occurs 10 years earlier among Indians and afflict even non-obese people, he said.

The new algorithm clearly mentions when first, second and third line therapies have to be introduced and the medical options in each category.

In every case, therapeutic lifestyle changes — more physical exercises and dietary changes — have been encouraged to the maximum extent possible along with regular monitoring.

To design more effective and state-specific intervention strategies, ICMR initiated an exercise to study 1,24,000 people from 28 states, Delhi and two union territories to create state-wise profile of diabetes. Halfway through the project, the study has already come up with interesting trends.