Cost Of Diabetes Care Determined By Complicacies Than Treatment Costs
With an estimated 77 million adults dealing with the ailment, diabetes is a significant public health concern in India. India, behind China, has the second-highest population of diabetics worldwide, according to the International Diabetes Federation.
Many causes, including rapid urbanisation, bad eating patterns, sedentary lifestyles, and genetic predisposition, are blamed for the high prevalence of diabetes in India. Additionally, some ethnic groups, such as South Asians, are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and have a higher prevalence of the condition.
Because of its numerous complications, such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, neuropathy and blindness, diabetes in India places a huge strain on the healthcare system. In India, diabetes is also a major contributor to premature mortility, accounting for an estimated 1.1 million deaths per year.
Can diabetes be reversed, and if yes, what needs to be done?
India is the second largest country worldwide with type 2 diabetes and the largest country in the world with type 1 diabetes. Both types of diabetes are different. Type 1 diabetes requires lifelong treatment, whereas type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease. People who are suffering from type 1 diabetes cannot reverse it. However, we can achieve type 2 diabetes remission through three methods: eating fewer than 800 calories per day; curing diabetes with modern weight-loss medications; and losing weight after surgery using the endoscopic technique. People with type 1 diabetes who take the necessary precautions during the first 10 years of their disease can achieve remission.
What reasons can be attributed to Covid induced diabetes?
Just before covid, in November 2019 the total count of people’s death due to diabetes stood at 4 million, whereas in November 2022, that number had gone up to 6.8 million. So Covid has definitely impacted life and death for people living with diabetes. The five primary mechanisms by which Covid aggravates diabetes are as follows:
First, the Covid virus is an RNA virus and it went to the beta cells of the pancreas and damaged the pancreas to cause Covid diabetes. Second, people who are pre diabetic also develop the Corona virus, and that pre diabetes gets converted to diabetes. Third, many people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes developed covid, which exacerbated their diabetes condition. Fourth, people who developed Covid were given steroids, particularly when their oxygen level dropped. And steroids raise glucose levels, which leads to diabetes. Fifth, pandemic-induced conditions such as excess or wrong eating, inadequate sleep, less physical activity, and stress also led to an increased number of people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
What would you comment on the economic burden of diabetes in India?
The cost of diabetes care is determined more by complicacies than by treatment costs. There are direct and indirect costs associated with diabetes. Direct costs are related to the care of diabetes, which includes mindful lifestyle choices that include the food we consume. Moreover, the cost of medications and diagnostics is also part of the direct cost. The real cost of diabetes lies in its negative impact on people's productive lives between 30 and 60 years of age, leading to work loss with serious complications like eye problems, nerve problems, foot problems, heart problems, kidney problems, or brain problems.
Given that diabetes is a multifactorial disease, what approach should we take to treat it? Should it be a monopathy or integrated medicine approach?
I think diabetes care is multidisciplinary. Hence, an integrated approach is always instrumental. It all comes down to lifestyle and supervised medication, as well as care for complications and prevention. So, we need to take the best of all possible treatments, but we also need to do the science around that. It is important to recognise that we need to integrate traditional practises with the modern medical system in an evidence-based manner.
Tell us about the right lifestyle to keep diabetes at bay?
We should modify our traditional diets to make them enjoyable and healthful and eat consciously— on time, slowly, and less, rather than opting for worldwide diet pyramids, food fads, and fast foods. A heavy breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a light dinner help us lose weight, whereas the opposite causes us to put on weight.
Health is significantly impacted by stress. Adapting to stress or stressful situations with a smile and positive energy is an art. Our biological clock needs us to get at least seven hours of sleep every night between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Health is harmed by sleeping for fewer than five hours or for longer than ten hours. Please visit an expert and undergo a proper sleep study if you snore.
Break your sitting posture every 30 minutes. According to experts, five minutes of brisk walking can extend your life by four years. The suggested number of steps is 10,000, but according to recent research, you should take at least 6,000 to 8,000. There is less muscle mass in Indians. Both sit-ups and the traditional Surya Namaskar can increase muscular mass.
In conclusion, diabetes is a significant public health problem in India that needs immediate attention. Comprehensive strategies to prevent and control the condition are required given the high incidence of diabetes and its associated complications and mortality. Together, healthcare professionals, policy makers, and communities can lessen the impact of diabetes and improve the standard of living for diabetics in India.
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