Doctors expressed concern over the surge in the number of diabetics in the country while the World Diabetes Day was observed on Thursday.
Addressing a programme hosted in the Government Doon Medical College Hospital in Dehradun by Department of Ophthalmology to mark the day, Dr Sushil Ojha, assistant professor and HOD eye, said that India is having a whopping 69 million people suffering from diabetes, just behind China which has around 99 million diabetics, the highest for a country in the world.
“What is more, by 2040 India will have around 140 million people suffering from Diabetes, something that would make India the Diabetic capital of the world,” he said, adding that Diabetes leads to vision disturbance and even amputation of limbs.
“Most common cause of Diabetes is Genetic. Besides, environmental factors and sedentary lifestyle together leads to it,” he said. He said that diet modification, regular exercise and medicines for sugar control are the three things the Diabetics must take to control things.
To mark the day, patient education programmes were organised after OPDs. Besides, blood sugar testing and Fundus examination of all Diabetic patients of OPD would be done throughout the week (14-19 November) .
DME Dr Ashutosh Sayana said that Diabetes also leads to ischemic heart disease (cold heart attack) and hypertension..
Principal Dr PB Gupta (Neurosurgeon) also stressed on healthy food habits and daily exercise to prevent Diabetes.