The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) conducted decade-long study which involved 113,000 participants over the age of 20 from every state in India. The study was on diabetes and other metabolic non-communicable diseases(NCD) undertaken in India.

The study estimates that 101 million people in India – 11.4% of the country’s population – are living with diabetes.

The survey found that 136 million people – or 15.3% of the people – could be living with pre-diabetes.

The highest prevalence of diabetes was observed in Goa (26.4%), Puducherry (26.3%) and Kerala (25.5%).

The study warned of a sharp rise in diabetes in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh where the prevalence was lower.

Also diabetes was more frequent in urban than rural areas, the study found.

Besides diabetes, lifestyle diseases like hypertension and obesity also showed a northward spiral. The study found that around 35.5 per cent of the people had hypertension or high blood pressure, and about 39.5 per cent and 28.6 per cent suffered from abdominal obesity and overall obesity, respectively. Around 24 per cent of the surveyed population suffered from hypercholesterolemia or high bad cholesterol levels (LDL).

Some states like Kerala, Puducherry, Goa, Sikkim, and Punjab have also recorded the highest prevalence of NCDs as compared to other parts of India. While Puducherry has the highest prevalence of obesity, Kerala has more than 50 per cent of people with high cholesterol.

LEARNING FROM HOME/ WITHOUT CLASSES/ BASICS

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to make insulin, or when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces.
         

       Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, that acts like a key to let glucose from the food we eat pass from the blood stream into the cells in the body to produce energy. All carbohydrate foods are broken down into glucose in the blood. Insulin helps glucose get into the cells.

       Not being able to produce insulin or use it effectively leads to raised glucose levels in the blood (known as hyperglycaemia,diabetes mellitus). Over the long-term high glucose levels are associated with damage to the body and failure of various organs and tissues.

       Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile-onset diabetes. It is
usually caused by an auto-immune reaction where the body’s defence system attacks the cells that produce insulin. People with type 1 diabetes produce very little or no insulin. People with this form of diabetes need injections of insulin every day in order to control the levels of glucose in their blood. If people with type 1 diabetes do not have access to insulin, they will die.

         Type 2 diabetes used to be called non-insulin dependent
diabetes or adult-onset diabetes, and accounts for at least 90% of all cases of diabetes. It is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency, either or both of which may be present at the time diabetes is diagnosed. It is often, but not always, associated with overweight or obesity, which itself can cause insulin resistance and lead to high blood glucose levels. People with type 2 diabetes can often initially manage their condition through exercise and diet. However, over time most people will require oral drugs and or insulin.

            People with diabetes have an increased risk of developing a number of serious health problems. Consistently high blood glucose levels can lead to serious diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves and teeth.