VISAKHAPATNAM: As per records of the District Medical and Health Department, around 60 percent of diabetes patients examined at King George Hospital (KGH) are women. The prevalence of the condition is high among pregnant women, with nearly 25 percent showing corroborative symptoms according to reports. Worryingly, youngsters, including college-going girls, seem to be among the affected. Medical experts TNIE spoke to opined that lifestyle changes were responsible for the sudden rise in the number of patients.
“The human body has the ability to heal and self-repair, giving it the capability to fend off so many diseases easily. Lack of exercise to compensate for sedentary lifestyles is the biggest cause of the increase in the number of diabetics,” Dr Kutikuppala Surya Rao, a physician, said. According to the doctor, the number of women with diabetics was considerably lower until the 80s. Women are also falling prey to obesity, joint pains, renal problems and compromised eyesight. “The situation is so bad that it may be a threat to their lifespan,” he said.
The number of outpatients (OP) has increased significantly at KGH. In 2015, the hospital attended to a total of 35,600 OP wing patients, 14,240 (i.e. 40 percent ) of whom were women. In 2016, the patient footfall increased to 38,500, 19,250 (i.e. 50 percent) of them were women. This year, till date, KGH has attended to 40,000, including 24,000 women (60 percent).
Of all the women patients, nearly 60 percent tested positive for diabetes. A majority of them suffer from type-2 diabetes. Dr Mythili of the hospital’s endocrinology department recently conducted a study on the prevalence of diabetes in pregnant women with a sample size of 200 patients.