According to a research study recently published in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, there is a significant vulnerability of Indian youth towards diabetes. This article dissects the key points from this pertinent study that uncovers some alarming statistics about diabetes in India.
About the Research
The research, titled “Lifetime risk of diabetes in metropolitan cities in India,” was conducted by a team of authors from India, the U.K., and the U.S., under the leadership of Shammi Luhar from the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge, U.K.
Findings of the Study
The study reveals that more than half of men (55%) and two thirds (65%) of women aged 20 years or more in India are likely to develop diabetes in their lifetime. Around 95% of these cases are expected to be type 2 diabetes (T2D). This form of diabetes involves the body’s unsatisfactory response to insulin, which it still produces, unlike in type I diabetes. The majority of those affected by this type are over the age of 45, making it the most common type of diabetes, closely linked to obesity.
The lifetime risk of developing diabetes for 20-year-old men and women who are currently free of diabetes is projected as 56% and 65%, respectively. Obesity is identified as a critical factor that boosts one’s vulnerability to diabetes, by 86% for 20-year old women and 87% among men in urban areas.
Social Impact and Statistics
India’s current count of adults with diabetes, an appalling 77 million, is predicted to double to 134 million by 2045. Women generally carry a higher lifetime risk of developing diabetes. The study also finds that the risk of developing diabetes reduces as one ages. For instance, those who are 60 years old and free of diabetes currently hold a lesser likelihood of developing diabetes in their future lives.
Data Sources and Analysis
The data sources for this study include sex and BMI-specific diabetes incidence rates from the Centre for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia (2010–2018), mortality rates provided by the Government of India (2014), and prevalence rates of diabetes from the Indian Council for Medical Research India Diabetes Study (2008–2015).
Consequences
Higher probability of developing diabetes poses significant challenges including overburdening of the already strained health infrastructure and escalated out-of-pocket expenditure on diabetes treatment by patients.
Causes and Prevention
Urbanization, a decline in diet quality, and decreased physical activity levels are perceived as the primary causes of such high incidences of diabetes, however, lifestyle modifications such as maintaining a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and reducing body weight can aid in diabetes prevention or delay.
About Diabetes
Diabetes is a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the person’s body cannot use the insulin effectively. Diabetes affects key organs including the Kidney, Heart, Blood vessels, Nervous System, and Eyes (retina) and is often attributed to an unhealthy diet, inadequate physical activity, harmful use of alcohol, overweight/obesity, and tobacco use.