Pune: “Living with Diabetes is not a solitary illness, but a family affair. Early diagnosis and subsequent treatment will help in reducing the disease burden,” said diabetologist Dr Yogesh Kadam on the occasion of World Diabetes Day, which is observed on November 14.
Kadam said, “Families of persons living with diabetes play an important part in detecting, preventing and managing the disease. With a diabetic in the family, it is even more important to go for regular health check-ups and screening to detect diabetes early so that further complications can be prevented.” Commenting on the increasing diabetes cases in women, Kadam said that unhealthy lifestyles make women more prone to diabetes, and although the symptoms may be similar, the effects of the condition and the care necessary may differ significantly among women.
He explained, “Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is becoming common in Indian women with prevalence in some areas as high as 20 per cent. GDM is when a woman without diabetes develops high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. This condition makes the mother and the child at high risk of developing diabetes in the future after delivery. Maintaining a healthy weight with regular exercise and a healthy diet may prevent or delay the development of diabetes in the mother.”
He further added, “Diabetes has a greater impact on women’s heart health than men’s. In women, the risk factors are high. Diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women globally, causing 2.1 million deaths each year. As a result of socioeconomic conditions, girls and women with diabetes experience barriers to accessing cost-effective diabetes prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and care, particularly in the developing countries.”
Kadam also stated that 80 per cent cases of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
