Is Kashmir staring at a Diabetes epidemic?

Leading endocrinologst, Dr Nazir Pala said that Diabetes was turning into an epidemic as half of the people affected by the disease in the valley are not aware about having contracted the disease, reports ETV Bharat's Parvez ud Din.

Srinagar(Jammu and Kashmir): In an alarming development, young people as small as schoolchildren are falling prey to Diabetes in Kashmir valley with 50 percent of the Diabetic patients overall unaware of their illness, a top endocrinologist has said. In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat on World Diabetes Day, Dr. Nazir Ahmed Pala, associate professor at Government Medical College Srinagar, said that in Kashmir Valley, there are 50% patients who are suffering from diabetes but they do not know that they are affected by diabetes as a result of which they do not receive timely treatment.

“Out of every 100 patients in Kashmir Valley, only 50 patients get treatment and the remaining 50 people do not get treatment because they do not know that they have suffered from diabetes,” Dr Pala told ETV Bharat. He said that in Jammu and Kashmir overall, 9.5 percent of the population is affected by this disease.

While the disease traditionally used to be reported among people aged above 40 years, of late, young people as young as school children are also affected by the disease due to sedentary life style, Dr Pala said. “This disease is also increasing rapidly among children. Overall, diabetes is becoming an epidemic in Kashmir,” he warned.

Dr Pala said that in a survey conducted at the country level, it has been revealed that there are more chances of contracting this disease in India as compared to western countries because of lifestyle changes and limited physical activities. Dr Pala said that "type two" diabetes is more common in Kashmiri adults, while "type one" diabetes is seen in youth and children.

He said that lethargy is the common symptom of diabetes besides excessive urination especially at night, fatigue, weight loss, blurred vision, non-healing of wounds and others. Dr Pala said that high blood sugar caused by Diabates can damage the blood vessels. He said that diabetes mostly depends on genetic and environmental factors.

As for the preventive measures, Dr Pala advised to keep blood sugar under control with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. “Adopting a balanced diet is a prerequisite. Avoid processed sugary foods and drinks, use rice and flour bread in moderation,” he said.