India is called the diabetes capital of the world. With 10 per cent prevalence of diabetes and 14-15 per cent prevalence of pre-diabetes, every one in four Indian now either has diabetes, or is at a very high risk of developing pre-diabetes. As a matter of fact, Indians bear the highest global rates of progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes (at 18 per cent per year).
The twin problem of ‘diabetes’ and ‘obesity’ — diabesity — is the root cause of a number of illnesses which significantly impairs the quality of life of an individual and decreases life expectancy. Out of all types of health issues induced by diabesity, kidney and lung disorders are the ones which are most commonly noticed in our country (besides issues noticed in the feet).
Kidney & lung problems
Having diabetes (Type 1 or 2) implies that the small blood vessels in our kidneys may be injured, and hence it becomes increasingly difficult for kidneys to cleanse or filter blood properly. As a result, waste materials will build up in the blood leading to potentially life-threatening consequences. The earliest marker of kidney injury in diabetes is that the kidneys begin to leak proteins. Initially the protein leak is so small that it cannot be picked up by a routine urine analysis. Most people with diabetes also develop problems with urination on a daily basis. When urine remains in the bladder for a long period, it can increase chances of developing urinary tract infections spreading to the bladder. In severe cases, patients may require renal replacement therapy (dialysis) and kidney transplant.
Diabetes can also be responsible for the exponential increase in the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea, a breathing disorder of sleep, where the person suffers from excessive snoring. In this disorder, the airways in a person may get blocked during sleep (due to loss of muscle tone along with obesity), restricting entry of oxygen into lungs. This leads to fall in oxygen saturation levels in the blood during sleep, making the person to wake up at odd hours in the night. Hence, individuals suffering from this problem have poor sleep quality throughout the night and increased daytime sleepiness. It has also been linked with poor work performance, increased occurrence of road traffic accidents during driving, increased occupational hazards. OSA is also linked with poor blood glucose control in diabetes, uncontrolled blood pressure (hypertension), cardiac rhythm abnormalities, and sudden cardiac death.
Diabetics, in general, have a weakened immune system with a low ability to respond to and deal with infections. A recent study published in the journal Diabetes Care revealed that adults with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes are 8% more likely to have asthma and 22% more likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Prevention & way forward