At least 240 people are dying every day in Pakistan due to diabetes :Dr Khalid Mahmood Khan

Lahore: At least 240 people are dying  every day in Pakistan due to diabetes related complications and the situation is likely to worsen due to lack of public awareness, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits and delayed diagnosis.

It was revealed by Dr Khalid Mahmood Khan, a senior consultant at King Edward Medical University, Mayo Hospital Lahore.“The situation is really alarming as diabetes has reached epidemic proportions. Lack of awareness, change in lifestyle after rapid urbanisation, unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity and delayed screening are causing rapid growth in population with diabetes. If the prevailing trends continue, the situation will worsen in coming years,”he warned.

Dr Khalid Mahmood Khan said that over 6.7 million people are currently estimated to have diabetes and 7.6 million more at risk of falling prey to what in medical circles is called a silent killer, reveals a report prepared by Ministry of National Health Services in collaboration with seven organisations including International Diabetes Federation for presentation at a workshop.

Number of people with diabetes will nearly double and reach 12.8 million by 2035. Those with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), a precursor to diabetes, will increase to over 13.4 million by 2035.
Of all people with diabetes only about 50 percent (3.3 million) are diagnosed.

He said that Pakistan is among the top five countries for number of people with diabetes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, second only to Egypt.
“There is need of aggressive campaign for creating awareness among the masses regarding preventive measures including healthy lifestyle, balanced diet, quitting smoking and regular exercise, early diagnosis in case of becoming victim of silent killer and proper management of the disease. If not managed properly, diabetes can affect every organ of the human body.

“Diabetics usually feel no warning sign or pain during heart attack. So it is better to take precautions. Keep blood pressure and blood glucose in control, low dose aspirin to keep the blood thin, lower cholesterol with medication, quit smoking, exercise regularly, and consult cardiologist”, said a doctor working at Punjab Institute of Cardiology he added.
The complications caused by diabetes are also costly to treat, putting additional financial burden on the family and the healthcare system. Having a diabetes patient with complications can push a family into poverty, especially if that person is the breadwinner and is no longer able to work.