‘Onset of diabetes begins by mid-20s in Nagaland’

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Nov. 13: The world has acknowledged Nov. 14 as World Diabetes Day since 1991 and this disease is now prevalent and steadily increasing all around the world. A major concern in Nagaland is the increasing number of diabetic patients and also the alarming decrease in age of those getting the chronic disease.

Dr. Hesso, a diabetologist at Metro Hospital spoke to Eastern Mirror and revealed that an average of 15-20 patients with diabetes come to the outpatient department (OPD) everyday.

“The numbers are increasing and also the onset of diabetes is at an age which is as early as 25 and it is only now that the disease is affecting younger people,” Hesso informed adding that this was not the case in the previous years.

“The trend is changing everywhere, not just in Nagaland, as there is lack of exercise and food habits are not healthy,” he said. According to him, aerated cold drinks and fast food were two of the main causes of diabetes.

He cited balanced diet and regular exercise as solution to ward off the disease or even delay the onset, if inherited.

According to the World Diabetes Foundation, an ongoing project that started in 2016 for prevention and care of diabetes among indigenous people living in Nagaland has conducted 450 awareness camps in 379 villages, and reached to 67,500 people.

Also, according to information available in the foundation’s website, 27,000 at-risk people have been screened for diabetes and detected cases referred; 150 health care professionals trained in diabetes and diabetic foot care. The foundation’s goal is also to establish six diabetes clinics with capacity for diabetic foot care where around 7,800 people detected with diabetes will be served by the six clinics.

Dr. Maputemjen, a diabetologist from Police Referral Hospital in Chumukedima, said he receives around 30 patients with the disease at the OPD everyday and most are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

“About 80% of my patients are type 2 and one or two patients with type 1.5 which is also known as LADA or latent autoimmune diabetes in adults,” he informed.

The doctor revealed that he even has a five-year-old girl, his youngest diabetic patient. According to him, the girl has been recommended lifelong insulin treatment because she has type 1 diabetes.

“The youngest patient I have is five and she is totally dependent on insulin as in type 1 there is no insulin in the pancreas and no oral medication will be of use,” he said while informing that type 2 is mostly inherited from parents and oral medication is enough for it.

According to reports, diabetes is the fastest growing disease in India with over 72 million cases recorded in 2017 and figures expected to double by 2025.

Dr. Maputemjen informed that during one of his research, which is stalled at the moment, he found out that in the state of Nagaland, most people get diabetes from tobacco consumption.

“Tobacco use leads to insulin resistance,” he informed, adding that obesity is also one cause that speeds up the onset of diabetes.

“Everyone must keep a check on their lifestyle and diet to avoid getting diabetes,” he maintained.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), globally an estimated 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014, compared to 108 million in 1980. The global prevalence of diabetes has nearly doubled since 1980, rising from 4.7% to 8.5% in the adult population. This reflects an increase in associated risk factors such as being overweight or obese. Over the past decade, diabetes prevalence has risen faster in low and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.

“Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and lower limb amputation. Healthy diet, physical activity and avoiding tobacco use can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. In addition diabetes can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with medication, regular screening and treatment for complications,” according to the WHO.