Diabetes has increased significantly among young adults, which has led to increased number of heart attacks within the age group of 40 to 45 years, claimed doctors at DIABCON 2012 in the capital.
Most Indians suffer from diabetes type 2, which is preventable, said doctors.
“Diabetes became prevalent in India at least 15 years earlier than in several countries. An average Indian suffering from diabetes type 2 is 30 years old, compared to an average US citizen who gets diabetes at 50. Type 2 is preventable but type 1 is not,” said Dr Ashok Damir, vice president of Delhi Diabetic Forum.
Doctors peg changing lifestyle and obesity among children and young adults as the main cause of the increasing rate of diabetes in metros like Delhi.
“I have a 16-year-old patient who is suffering from stress and diabetes. He does not play, exercise and eat junk food. His favourite activity is to sit in front of the TV,” said Damir.
Dr Rajiv Gupta, advisor, said diabetes is among the top 10 causes of disability, resulting in life-threatening complications.
“Studies have proved that relatives of a diabetic stand a higher chances of getting the disease at some stage. We suggest people to get their tests done early. Also, we fear that more than 50 per cent of the population are not aware they are suffering from diabetes because it has not been diagnosed,” he said.
“School girls seem to be putting more weight than boys. In the next 10 years, we expect every third person to suffer from either diabetes, heart diseases or blood pressure because of our lifestyle,” said Gupta.
Doctors suggest regular exercise, which include brisk walking and jogging, healthy eating habits and keeping a check on the waistline to reduce chances of getting diabetes.
“It is a myth that juice is healthy. You must eat fruits rather than drink juice, which does not have essential fibres. Avoid junk food and eat fibrous diet to maintain healthy living,” said Damir.
DIABCON addressed the challenge of growing number of diabetes cases in India by sensitising physicians for an aggressive approach towards managing it. Over 400 doctors from Delhi and NCR, and several leading experts on diabetes participated.