The diabetes epidemic in India

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and kidney failure among adults. It causes mild to severe nerve damage that, coupled with diabetes-related circulation problems, often leads to the loss of a leg or foot. 

Diabetes significantly increases the risk of heart disease. And it’s the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., directly causing almost 70,000 deaths each year and contributing to thousands more. The problems behind the numbers are even more alarming.
The diabetes epidemic in India that killed 10 lac people in 2011, has also thrown some startling facts:

• Contrary to popular belief, diabetes affects more people in rural India (34 million) than affluent urban Indians (28 million)
• The gap between the number of diabetic men and women in India is also diminishing. While 33 million men are diabetic, 29 million women are affected by high blood sugar
• According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF), has raised a serious alarm for India by saying that nearly 52% of Indians aren’t aware that they are suffering from high blood sugar. India is presently home to 62 million diabetics — an increase of nearly 2 million in just one year, as of 2015
• India is second only to China which is home to 92.3 million diabetics. By 2030, India’s diabetes numbers are expected to cross the 100 million mark.
• WHO projects that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in 2030.

The prevalence of diabetes has been steadily increasing in the past few decades, in particular in low- and middle-income countries. Knowledge exists to reverse this trend through targeted prevention and appropriate care. The good news is that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. About 9 cases in 10 could be avoided by taking several simple steps: keeping weight under control, exercising more, eating a healthy diet, and not smoking.