India’s Diabetes Crisis: Controversy and Challenges

• Global study in The Lancet reports over 800 million adults with diabetes, with over half not receiving treatment.

• India has over a quarter of this number, with another 148 million in China.

• The Lancet study used data from over 140 million people (18+ years) from over 1,000 studies.

• India still adheres to the fasting and two-hour post prandial readings, with an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) as the gold standard.

• The Lancet study serves as a reminder of diabetes’s growth in India and calls for efforts to prevent and treat it.

• Imperial College, London study reveals increasing global diabetes inequalities, with stagnant treatment rates in low- and middle-income countries.

• The study highlights the risk of life-long complications in diabetes patients.

• Prevention is emphasized as the primary aspect of the fight against diabetes.

• Countries like India must focus on vulnerable populations, particularly women, who are prone to obesity post pregnancy and have a heightened risk at menopause.

• Governments must promote healthy eating and exercise, and people must demand it from their rulers.