Deadly diabetes takes its toll

Diabetes, a chronic disease marked by elevated blood glucose levels has affected 5 – 6% of the global population and 246 million people are diabetic patients. Around 3.2 million people around the world die every year of diabetes-related illnesses. It is also found that by 2025, 80% will be from the low and middle-income countries, in which Sri Lanka is also included. In Sri Lanka itself at present more than two million people are living with diabetes.

With Diabetes Day falling on November 14, this years theme is “Diabetes in Children and Adolescents” which is an eye opener to Sri Lankan parents, to be more watchful of dietary changes and lack of physical activities of their children. Speaking to The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka Diabetes Association President Dr. Mohan Jayasooriya said that it was pathetic to see that many Sri Lankan youth were suffering from diabetes and that there were patients as young as 10.

“Diabetes is a major nutritional illness in the world but was meant to affect only older people, but now there is a significant increase among children too. For many young people it would mean their eyes, hearts and nerves would be affected and it may lead to shortening their lives,” he said. He said the present eating habits among youngsters should be changed. They should be encouraged to eat more wholesome, nourishing and high fibre meals with vegetables and fruits while physical exercise was necessary to prevent obesity, which was also a major factor in developing diabetes.

“Social problems too affect youth blood sugar levels. We should make sure that they lead a stress-free life. It’s high among the urban population. At least an hour or two should be allocated for physical exercises for children, and parents should lessen the pressure on their children where education and tuition classes are concerned,” he said.

When diabetes is diagnosed in children/young people their life expectancy is shortened by, on average, 0 to 20 years. Currently 440,000 under 14 children in the world live with Type 1 diabetes. Around 70,000 children aged 14 and under develop Type 1 diabetes annually. Children with Type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of hypertension, dyslipidaemia, cardiovascular disease and polycystic ovarian syndrome than their peers with Type 1.

The Insulin Bank of Sri Lanka is a special project, which cares for 460 needy T1DM children and adolescents to improve their control and prevent complications, free of charge. Sri Lanka has been requested to lead the ‘Living with Diabetes’ stream at the Montreal Congress in 2009.