World Diabetes Day: 1 in 10 adults in Nagaland affected by Type-2 diabetes

November 15, 2023 22 Views No Comment

Morung Express news
Kohima | November 15

Type-2 diabetes is a serious non-communicable diseases (NCDs) health concern in the state where 1 in 10 adults in Nagaland is affected by it. This is one of the most common types of diabetes affecting adults primarily due to lifestyle factors or failure to respond to insulin properly.

Informing this to The Morung Express, State Nodal Officer for Non Communicable Diseases (NCD), Dr Alemwapang said Type-2 diabetes are mostly found in persons above the age of 30 maybe affecting 1 in 10 adults or over 10% of the population, adding that this assessment is given by the thumb rule. Nationally, NCDs contribute to 63% of the deaths in India and about 62 million people in the country have Type-2 diabetes and is said to be increasing on a daily basis, he informed.

According to the latest National Family and Health survey (NFHS) 2019-2020, 10.5% male and 5.6% female in the age group of 15-49 years through random blood glucose levels testing is said to be taking medicine to lower their blood glucose level or have more than 140 mg/dl blood glucose levels.

The nodal officer while elaborating that diabetes is a common NCD like cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases, shared common modifiable behavioural risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and alcohol consumption.

Diabetes, a chronic disease in which the body does not produce or properly use the hormone insulin which is required to convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy, is classified into three types including Type-I diabetes, Type-2 diabetes and gestational diabetes.

Pre-diabetes, also common among the adult population, indicates a condition when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis for Type-2 diabetes, he further informed.

Type-I diabetes and gestational diabetes, are however, not common as the Type-2 diabetes in the state.

Type-2 diabetes mellitus is the most common type of Diabetes which occurs usually after the age of 30 years. It begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to respond to insulin properly.

Type-2 diabetes is primarily due to lifestyle factors and genetics. The primary cause is excessive body weight and inadequate physical activity.

Type-I diabetes mellitus usually occurs in younger people, children and adolescents. Gestational diabetes mellitus resembles Type-2 diabetes in several aspects but occurs during pregnancy.

Along with the health concern surrounding diabetes, Dr Alemwapang said uncontrolled diabetes can lead to heart attack, stroke, renal failure, blindness, eventually leading to high premature mortality.

Apart from this, the nodal officer added that other concurrent complications should be addressed and asserted that that all these risk factors are amenable to modifications through lifestyle changes by maintaining diet and physical activity; reducing insulin resistance through reduction in weight, specifically reduction of fat mass.

Dr Alemwapang said as per the national policy, even person above 30 years should “screen blood sugar level at least once in a year” to take precautionary measures. In this regard, he informed that the same is provided for free in all government health facilities including hospitals and health centres.

And although lifestyle management accompanied by drug therapy or insulin are the cornerstone of diabetes management, he said generating more awareness in different level starting from villages is also a need of the hour.