BENGALURU: Diabetologists on Thursday said there was a need to encourage more people to use insulin.
At an event on ‘Demystifying Insulin Myths’ organised by the Centre for Public Health and Awareness (CPHA) on the eve of World Diabetes Day, endocrinologists said there was a psychological barrier about insulin therapy. Despite its potential to control sugar levels, it is currently under-utilised, leading to increased morbidity and mortality, they said.
Centre for Diabetes and Endocrine Care director Prasanna Kumar said, “When compared to the western world, the average onset age for diabetes has dropped by at least a decade among Indians owing to high stress levels and sedentary lifestyles. I see an escalating number of young diabetic patients in Bengaluru in their late 20s, 30s and 40s who will greatly benefit from insulin therapy. Early treatment with insulin will improve the quality of life of patients with diabetes.”
The goals of diabetes management are mainly achieving sugar-level control and preventing long-term complications that involve the functioning of vital organs. Research suggests that early treatment with insulin helps achieve both these objectives, Kumar said.
Dr Satish Babu K N, head of the Department of Endocrinology at BGS Global Hospitals, said, “Insulin treatment in diabetes has been well researched. Insulin is a biological hormone that is absolutely safe for use. It is time we drop the psychological barriers on insulin usage. Technological advances have made self-administration simple.”