Did you know that 1 out of 11 people in India are formally diagnosed with diabetes, while 1 out of 5 are estimated to have diabetes?
In fact, according to research, India ranks second after China in the global diabetes epidemic with 77 million people living with diabetes. And out of these, 12.1 million are below the age of 65 years, and by 2045, this number is expected to increase to a staggering 27.5 million!
But what’s worse is that, almost 57% of adults with diabetes in India are undiagnosed. This means approximately 43.9 million adult Indians are unaware of the serious condition which is a major cause of blindness, heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure and lower limb amputation.
As a country housing a massive population of diabetic individuals, it is important for us to look deeper into the nuances of the condition and find innovative solutions to overcome this. For decades now, diabetes has been brewing a silent pandemic which has translated into either a life-threatening or life-long battle for many.
But it doesn’t have to be that way according to experts today. As an alternative and progressive solution they recommend following the Diabetes Remission (DR) programs which has helped many diagnosed with type 2 diabetes put their condition in remission before embarking on their journey with medications.
Hence, this time on Practo Connect celebrating World Diabetes Day, we had the pleasure to have Dr Hema Venkataraman, one of the top experts on this subject, share her valuable insights on the science behind DR and the paradigm shift in the approach required by doctors treating patients living with diabetes.
A consultant Endocrinologist at the University Hospitals Birmingham, NHS, UK, she comes with over 17 years of clinical and academic expertise in chronic health care management. She is the clinical lead and MDT member for the Antenatal and diabetes technology service at University Hospitals Birmingham and a member of various international societies like Diabetes UK, SFE, EASD and ADA. Currently she is also working as a medical lead for Practo Diabetes Remission under Chronic Care.
“The burden of diabetes in India has doubled in the last 20 years, overwhelming the existing health care infrastructure that has not grown proportionately. With as high as 1 in 5 adults estimated to have diabetes, it is time to rethink sustainable diabetes care delivery. The breakthrough discovery of diabetes remission, is shifting the paradigm of diabetes care, from a glucocentric drug treatment based approach, to a more holistic, large scale prevention strategy targeting the root cause of diabetes. The rollout of a nationwide Diabetes remission program is the need of the hour along with a strong public health campaign and policy change on advertising and healthy eating”, says Dr Venkataraman.
