India is emerging as the world’s capital of coronary heart disease and diabetes.
Here are a few facts and figures.
- There are nearly 422 million people all over the world suffering from diabetes. In India, there are nearly 77 million diabetics.
- According to a study, India has an estimated 14% (1 in 6 Indians) pre-diabetics (It is the state in which some but not all of the diagnostic criteria for diabetes are met).
- Type 2 diabetes is occurring a full decade sooner in Indians when people are between 20 and 29 years old.
- Around 90 percent of global sufferers have Type 2, a form the WHO says is “largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity…. (a) growing global problem”. Half of all diabetes sufferers die of cardiovascular disease, according to the WHO.
Reasons :
- A sedentary lifestyle, obesity, stress, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, and family history are some other factors that increase the chances of heart ailments.
- High-fat, high-sugar, fast food outlets proliferate in Indian cities, catering to a hard-working, time-poor population eager to spend its new-found cash, with Western brands were often chosen as a visible sign of wealth. Eating high levels of refined carbohydrates and saturated fat and not enough fruits and vegetables contributes to weight gain, thereby increasing the risk of diabetes.
- Smoking is invariably a common factor in almost all the young patients
- Many believe the diabetes rate began to skyrocket when Indians stopped living off the land and began using government rations.
- The high number of cases among South Asian people has been attributed to genetic factors, including a predisposition to storing more fat.
- A decline in physical activity through increased car use and a lack of open spaces for exercise is another major factor for the increase in the number of diabetics.
- Overweight and obesity: (BMI over 25 kg/m2) have been estimated to account for about 65–80% of new cases of type 2 diabetes. The risk is a function of the age of onset and the duration of obesity, and weight gain during adult life.
Effects:
- Diabetes and heart: Diabetes and coronary heart disease are closely related. Diabetes contributes to high blood pressure and is linked with high cholesterol which significantly increases the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.
- Diabetes and strokes: Similar to how diabetes affects the heart, high blood pressure and cholesterol raise the risk of strokes.
- Diabetes and eyes: A relatively common complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. As with all complications, this condition is brought on by a number of years of poorly controlled or uncontrolled diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy has a number of symptoms. Retinopathy is caused by blood vessels in the back of the eye (the retina) swelling and leaking. High blood pressure is also a contributing factor to diabetic retinopathy.
- Diabetes and kidneys: The kidneys are another organ that is at particular risk of damage as a result of diabetes and the risk is again increased by poorly controlled diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol. Diabetic nephropathy is the term for kidney disease as a result of diabetes.
- Some other effects of Diabetes are on the nerves (numbness, lack of arousal) and disturbed digestion.
How can you lower your risk?
- Get Moving—and turn off the television and play real games: Studies have shown that just 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, five days a week is enough to promote good health and reduce the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Control Your Weight: Excess weight is the single most important cause of type 2 diabetes. Being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes sevenfold. Being obese makes you 20 to 40 times more likely to develop diabetes than someone with a healthy weight.
- Tune Up Your Diet: Choose whole grains and whole-grain products over highly processed carbohydrates. Skip the sugary drinks, and choose water, coffee, or tea instead (with less sugar). Choose good fats instead of bad fats.
- If You Smoke, Try to Quit
Excess weight is the single most important cause of type 2 diabetes. We have compiled a one-hour sequence that will help you keep your weight under check and control your blood sugar level. If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic (overweight, obese), this free ebook will help you a lot.
