HYDERABAD: The number of patients suffering from diabetes is increasing by the day. According to the National Family Health Survey 5, 18.1 percent of people in the State have high blood sugar levels. Notably, more men are being diagnosed with diabetes than females. As many as 18.1 percent of men and 14.7 percent of women are highly diabetic taking medicine to control sugar, the same data reveals. Similarly, 5.8 and 7 percent of women and 6.9 and 9.3 percent of men have mild and high diabetes respectively.
The data shows that the prevalence of diabetes is high in South Indian states with Kerala having 27 per cent, Tamil Nadu with 22 per cent, Andhra Pradesh with 21.8 per cent patients with high sugar levels.
Doctors and experts have been suggesting that regular checkup may prevent complications. Of the 731 people screened at Gandhi Hospital here on the occasion of World Diabetic Day on Monday, 203 patients were detected with diabetes and high blood pressure. These patients didn’t even know that they were suffering from the disease before getting tested at the hospital.
“There is disparity in access to proper diabetes care which include basic things such as access to a clinician, dietitian, diabetes counsellor, basic lab tests, screening and management of complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, availability of appropriate medicationincluding insulin and awareness of the same,” said Dr. Ravi Sankar Erukulapati Senior Endocrinologist at Apollo Hospital.
“Some such strategies include maintaining a nationwide register of people with diabetes,” he added. The State also has to make efforts to train nurses and educators and regulate the drug supply and prices.