Diabetes In Young People Increased After The Pandemic: Survey

The rate of diabetes is increasing among youth as obesity, stress, sadness, a lack of good food and regular exercise have increased during the lockdown. According to a survey by medical platform Practo, the number of young people contracting the disease has increased since the epidemic.

With a higher-than-usual number of Indians joining the pool of diabetics since the pandemic started, COVID-19 may have caused a quiet explosion in India, which is frequently referred to as the diabetes capital of the world.

Diabetes In Young People

Nearly 80 million adults in the nation have diabetes, and the figure is expected to rise to over 130 million by 2045, according to estimates from the International Diabetes Foundation. Regarding the worldwide diabetes epidemic, India is second to China and accounts for more than 18% of all new cases.

The platform saw an overall 44% increase in in-person diabetic consultations year over year, according to the most recent survey by integrated healthcare provider Practo, conducted in advance of World Diabetes Day, observed on November 14. According to the survey, young Indians between the ages of 25 and 34 saw the most significant increase in consultations, with a 46 per cent increase over the previous year.

Sadly, they are not the only alarming results. According to Tata 1mg's examination of historical data, the prevalence of diabetes was highest among those in the 40–60 age range who had their HbA1c levels checked at the company's labs between March and October of this year.

The conclusions were based on the results of the HbA1c test, also known as the glycosylated haemoglobin test, which provides information on the average blood sugar level during the previous two to three months.

Experts point out that even people with mild illnesses and no history of diabetes risk factors had a higher risk of developing the chronic condition, even though those who were hospitalised or admitted to critical care as a result of COVID-19 had a risk that was almost three times higher than that of people who did not have the disease.

High Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure of obesity and a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, doubled the risk of diabetes following the SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to Dr Ashu Goyal, a senior diabetologist at Shalby Hospital in Surat, even though empirical data is needed to elucidate population-level long-term patterns in new-onset diabetes and to determine their critical areas.

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