Chennai: “There is an epidemic in diabetes, not just in India, but worldwide. It is not restricted only to affluent society. When I visited a village near Bengaluru for my research on prevalence of the condition in India, I asked the villagers if they had diabetes and 20 per cent of them raised their hands in response,” said International Diabetes Federation president-elect, Dr Andrew J Boulton.
He was speaking to News Today on the sidelines of inauguration of Dr Mohan’s Diabetes’ sixth edition of International Diabetes Update – 2019 here yesterday (Friday).
Asked about the measures that patients can take, he said, “Anything that encourages more healthy life like walking, instead of taking an elevator is good.”
Early study in Finland recommended diet and exercises for high-risk diabetic patients and it was replicated in the United States. One need not go to a gym but just walk for 45 minutes a day for controlling diabetes.
The results of the two studies were exactly the same – lifestyle, sensible eating and little bit of walking – help us be healthy to a great extent, Dr Andrew said.
Inaugurating the event, Dr Mohan’s Group of Diabetes Institutions chairman and Diabetes Update organising chairman, Dr V Mohan, said, “The conference helps enable physicians with the latest knowledge to manage diabetes for an improved assistance to patients. The main aim is to help clinicians and scientists to keep abreast of the advancements.”
The conference is scheduled to take place till 28 July and over 3,000 delegates are participating.
Dr Mohan’s Group of Diabetes Institutions managing director and organising committee member, Dr R M Anjana, vice-chairman and organising committee member, Dr Ranjit Unnikrishnan, and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation research operations – head and organising committee member, Dr Guha Pradeepa, were present during the inauguration.