Dr. Anish Desai, Founder of IntelliMed Healthcare Solutions
Diagnoses of diabetes is increasing in India. India has the second-highest total population in the world at more than 1.3 billion people. The International Diabetes Federation estimated that 72.9 million adults in India were living with diabetes in 2017. Diabetes is a growing challenge in India with estimated 8.7% diabetic population in the age group of 20 and 70 years. A 2017 study also found that diabetes prevalence was higher in urban areas. Majority of these cases are with type 2 diabetes, which results due to insulin resistance, with the pancreas slowly losing the ability to make insulin The rising prevalence of diabetes is driven by a combination of factors – rapid urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets and food habits, tobacco use, stress, and increasing life expectancy. Obesity and overweight are the most important risk factors responsible for diabetes.
Issues like awareness generation for risk reduction, frequency of monitoring for selected parameters, standards for monitoring chronic complications in patients with diabetes, and current recommended targets of various parameters are critical in management of the problem.
Awareness generation for risk reduction
Awareness regarding the risk factors for diabetes is a critical step towards managing this problem. The risk factors for diabetes are:
Recommendations for the prevention of diabetes
Diabetes cannot be cured, however it can be prevented and managed. Following steps can be followed to prevent the disease and control its effects:
• Regular Exercise: Morning walk, yoga, running, aerobics can all help in preventing diabetes.
• Managing food habits and diet : Focus on eating lean protein, high-fiber, less processed carbs, fruits, and vegetables, low-fat dairy, and healthy vegetable-based fats such as avocado, nuts, canola oil, or olive oil. You should also manage your carbohydrate intake. Try to eat small and healthy meals and snacks at regular times throughout the day.
Functional Medicine for Diabetes management
Functional medicine is a science-based approach to preventing and managing diabetes that is focused on diet and lifestyle changes
Functional medicine can control the blood glucose levels, as well as help in reducing many other linked health issues of the patient. Functional medicine is successful in optimizing glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and blood glucose levels.
Nutraceuticals for Diabetes
Nutraceuticals are biological therapies including phytochemicals, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids, which are used to promote wellness, prevent degenerative processes and control symptoms. Nutraceutical agents have multidimensional therapeutic benefits and have been claimed to have effective disease preventing, curative and health promotive virtues. Several nutraceuticals used in clinical practice have been shown to target the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and their complications and to favourably modulate a number of biochemical and clinical endpoints.
Monounsaturated fatty acids such as olive oil and other vegetable oils are recommended. L-carnitine, α-lipoic acid, berberine and ω-3 fatty acids can be useful supplements. Nutraceuticals like resveratrol (a compound from grapes), curcumin (from turmeric) and cinnamon were all effective in countering various elements of diabetes, including regulating glucose, improving insulin resistance and reducing cholesterol.
India has large and diverse population with diabetes, which experiences significant barriers in successful diabetes care.
National diabetes Control Programme
The National Programme for Diabetes Prevention and Control aims to achieve the following goals: 1- Integrate management of diabetes.
2- Reduce diabetes prevalence.
3- Delay the beginning of diabetes related complications and reduce their incidence.
4- Reduce diabetes morbidity and mortality.
Integrated personalised diabetes management is a therapeutic approach that structures the diabetes treatment process, connects healthcare professionals and patients, and integrates digital tools that visualise and analyse data. This integrated approach with a focus on the functional medicine aspect can help to tackle the problem effectively in coming times.