Half of Diabetic Population Developing Heart Diseases: Study

A study conducted right ahead of World Diabetes Day to analyze people’s opinion and their behaviour-related outcomes towards diabetes management showed that 50 percent of diabetics in India are developing heart diseases.

The study was conducted on 5,065 Indians across 16 cities. It was found that 63 percent people were at a risk of getting microvasuclar complications and many had increased risk of developing eye problems, especially retinopathy.

Ashok Jain, group MD and CEO, Lifespan Wellness Pvt. Ltd, which conducted the study, said "the findings are unique in terms of the insights it provides on people's perceptions about diabetes and its effects on morbidity and mortality. The findings should help us lay out a road-map to ensure its prevention and management".

The study also found that ignorance and faulty practices related to diet and medication have been the main wrongdoers. It was seen that 29 percent diabetes patients used honey or jaggery and 41 percent believed that these things are actually good for people with diabetes. Also, 33 percent people consumed juices that were high on glycemic index and almost 1 in every 2 considered all fruit juices to be good for diabetes. Though it has been proved that bitter gourd and fenugreek cannot cure diabetes yet, 40 percent of diabetics believed that consuming them can be useful.

Dr. Jain added "42% Indians believe herbal treatment can cure diabetes, oblivious to the fact that consuming herbs could lead to toxicity in kidneys. Considering the role of diet and medication in diabetes management, it's important to counsel and educate people and rectify faulty perceptions".

The study found that diabetics were more aware of the complications but, 35 percent of the participants were not aware or sure if they were diabetic or not.

"The result, which is a combination of behaviour, perception and facts, will not only help stakeholders understand and control co-morbid conditions in diabetes, but can also help in policy making in terms of its management and prevention. I believe it's high time some kind of robust diabetes education and counselling module is formulated and implemented in the country, by which effective diabetes management can be ensured," added Dr. Jain.

Image courtesy: Getty Images

News source: dnaindia.com

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