Diabetes Centre reveals city faces acute diabetes problem

Chennai, May 11 (UNI) More than 16 per cent of Chennai population have diabetes while 68 per cent are undiagnosed, according to a latest study conducted by Dr Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre.

The study called 'Prevalence of Diabetes and Control in Chennai City Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES) was a population-based study conducted on a representative population of Chennai.

Individuals 20 years in age (26,001) were screened for diabetes.

Of the 1529 known diabetic subjects, 1382 (90.4 per cent) participated in the study. Subjects with newly detected diabetes by the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) also consented to participate in the study.

Dr Mohan, a leading diabetologist and instrumental in the survey project, said, unfortunately out of the total 32 per cent, who were diagnosed, about 44 per cent people do not go for treatment.

He said out of the rest 56 per cent, who had gone for the treatment, more than 70 per cent could not keep diabetes under control.

Dr Mohan pointed out fast urbanisation and junk foods were the main reasons for the disease.

''There was also a linear increase in the prevalence of diabetes with an increase in visible fat consumption. In addition, we observed that visible fat consumption and physical inactivity showed a cumulative effect on increasing the prevalence of diabetes'', he added.

While explaining about the global senario, among countries, he said India has the highest number of people with diabetes. The future looks only more ominous as India hurtles into the present, modernising and urbanising at blinding speed, he added.

Dr Mohan said according to the lastest study, currently, India has 40.9 millions people, who were suffering from diabetes. This figure would increase to 69.9 in 2025, he added.

Furthermore, type-2 diabetes in Indian differs from that in European countries in several aspects, he said, adding the onset was at a younger age, obesity was less common, and genetic factors appear to be stronger. These clinical differences and the rising prevalence of diabetes in India warrant well-conducted epidemiologic studies on diabetes-related complications in this population, to assess the health services burden due to diabetes.

UNI SNR SY HT1540