Diabetes in India

A Lancet Global Health study based on the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) found that at least one in five Indians aged 45 and above had diabetes in 2019.

Around 40% of people with diabetes were unaware they had the disease, revealing gaps in diagnosis and awareness.
Diabetes: It is a chronic non-communicable disease where the pancreas stops producing insulin or the body can’t use it properly. Insulin is a hormone that controls blood sugar, when insulin doesn’t work properly, blood sugar rises, causing hyperglycaemia.
- Conversely, too much insulin can cause hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).
Types of Diabetes
- Type 1: Autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing cells, requiring daily insulin; mostly affects children and young adults.
- Type 2: Body resists insulin or doesn’t produce enough; linked to overweight, inactivity, and genetics; accounts for over 95% of diabetes cases; can be prevented with lifestyle changes.
- Gestational Diabetes: High blood sugar during pregnancy; increases risks for mother and child and raises chance of developing Type 2 later.
India’s Initiatives: Encourages healthy lifestyles through Fit India Movement.
- Population-based screenings for diabetes at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
- The Central Board of Secondary Education mandates ‘sugar boards’ in schools to educate children on sugar content in foods and health risks.

Note: Type 5 diabetes is a newly recognized form affecting lean teens and young adults with a body-mass index (BMI) below 18.5 kg/m².

Unlike Type 1 (autoimmune) or Type 2 (insulin resistance), Type 5 is caused by malnutrition damaging pancreatic beta cells, leading to insulin deficiency.

Read more: World Diabetes Day 2024

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