‘Precautions, healthy lifestyle can check diabetes’

LAHORE:The diabetes – with its dual manifestation in type-1 and type-2 – is a silent killer and the patients have to live with this congenital disease by adopting proper precautionary measures and medication for life.

This was the crux of an awareness walk and seminar on diabetes held in connection with World Diabetes Day under the aegis of Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (Jang Group of Newspapers) in collaboration with Fatima Memorial Hospital – College of Medicine and Dentistry (FMH-CMD) and Novo Nordisk Pharma (Pvt) Ltd, Pakistan, here on the hospital premises.

Prof Dr Khurshid Khan, Head of Medicine and Allied Department, FMH and President Pakistan Endocrine Society, expressed concern over rapid increase in diabetes as approximately 35 million people are diabetic in Pakistan among 425 million people affected by the disease worldwide.

He informed that every fifth person was suffering from diabetes with obesity as the main contributor, saying that men having waist size above 35 inches and women having waist size above 31 inches may become vulnerable to diabetes. “The diabetes can be prevented through precautionary measures and healthy lifestyle,” he said, adding that people must avoid oily and fried food, and include fruits and vegetables in their diet along with daily exercise.

He said that the diabetes, with its current rate of spread, might affect 84 percent of population of South East Asia by 2045, and the rise of this disease will be 156 percent in Africa during the same period. He said that diabetes affects entire body and its organs, saying that it affects eyesight by 12.5 percent and increase the risk of stroke by 2.5 percent.

“The mortality among diabetics with cardiovascular complications is around 70 percent,” he said, adding that the obese children and those liking fast food are at greater risk of contracting diabetes.

He informed that Pakistan Endocrine Society was organising awareness campaign in schools, shopping malls, corporate institutions, healthcare facility centres and social media for prevention, control and treatment of diabetes. “The Punjab government must ensure availability of medicines in all public sector hospitals in the province,” he added.

Mrs Shahima Rehman, Chairperson Board of Management, FMH and Chairperson NUR Foundation, said, “We as Pakistanis have a responsibility to pay back our country the favours it showers upon us by extending our services in whatever capacity for the progress and development of the country.” She said that FMH had one of the best faculties, while urging the students to learn from their teachers and go out to serve the country.

Prof Dr Rakhshanda Rehman, Dean FMH-CMD, said that the women, before or after pregnancy, must control their sugar through prevention and medication in order to protect the newborn from adverse effects of the disease.

Prof Dr Bilal bin Younas, Principal FMH-CMD, said that the prevalence of diabetes was rapidly increasing, adding that almost 50 percent of people do not know about their disease. Prof Dr Saulat Siddique, Director FMH-CMD, advised people to regularly check their blood pressure and sugar in order to prevent the disease at an early stage.

Later, FMH-CMD faculty members, students and others participated in a walk to raise awareness among the general public about the hazards of diabetes and importance of early diagnosis as well as prevention, control and treatment of diabetes. Chairman MKRMS Wasif Nagi conducted the seminar.