HYDERABAD, Pakistan: President Medical Research Centre and Professor of Medicine Dr Bekha Ram Devrajani said that diabetes is a growing pandemic of the century and it has crippled many and was continuing to do so ruthlessly.
Addressing a press conference at Press Club Hyderabad on Thursday, Professor Devrajani said that masses and diabetic patients must adopt preventive measures to avoid serious health hazards.
He informed that the theme of this year was “Eyes on Diabetes” and the focus was given on promoting the importance of screening to ensure early diagnosis of two types of diabetes and treatment to reduce the risk of serious complications.
Professor Bekha Ram said that more than 93 million adults currently living with diabetes and by 2040 over 640 million people may be living with diabetes while Pakistan was at the 8th position, with over seven million diabetic patients between 20 to 79 years of age.
He informed that these complications can be prevented or delayed by maintaining blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels as close to normal as possible. Many complications can be picked up in their early stages through screening, so that treatment can be given to prevent them of becoming more serious, he added.
He said that many people with diabetes knew they had to take care of their feet as they understood occurring of foot problems would help them to take action to prevent the disease.
He said that diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease caused by the body’s inability to produce insulin, or by the ineffective use of the insulin produced. Such a deficiency results in increased concentrations of glucose in the blood, which in turn damage many of the body’s systems, he added.
He said that as earlier a person is diagnosed, sooner treatment can be initiated in order to reduce the risk of harmful and costly complications.
It was thought as the last stage of treatment although actually it is the first stage, he said adding that Insulin was a life-saving drug, as oral drugs fail due to the progressive nature of the disease.
He warned that prolonged period of high blood glucose levels could cause damage to different areas of patient’s body including feet and legs.
He highlighted the importance of preventing foot problems and suggested that any injury or hard skin had the potential to develop into something more serious if you had diabetes.
He said that adopting a healthy diet, exercising regularly and maintaining normal body weight can prevent type II diabetes, the most common kind that can develop at any age.
He emphasized that better environment can also reduce chances of diabetes. There is a lack of recreational parks and grounds. Such facilities are imperative to ensure that the future generation is physically and mentally fit, he added.
Prof. Bekha said everyone is concerned and has a role to play in helping to turn the tide of diabetes to protect our future.
Pro Vice Chancellor LUMHS Professor Anila Atta-Ur-Rehman, Dr Sindhu Leghari, Dr Rubina Sehto and other also accompanied him.
Source: APP
