Lifestyle changes can prevent pre-diabetes: Doctors

Reported by Santosh Jagdev/Edited by Sandeep Sahu

Bhubaneswar, July-28: Doctors from all over the country deliberated on ways to contain the risk of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Disease (T2DM), which has of late emerged as a global health challenge, at the annual conference organized by Kar Clinic and Hospital Pvt. Ltd. Here on Sunday.

Presenting a paper at the seminar billed as ‘Annual update on comprehensive risk reduction in Type 2 diabetes mellitus-2013’, Dr. Niroj Kumar Mishra, MD and clinical director of Kar Clinic and Hospital Pvt. Ltd, said patients with a high risk of T2DM, also known as pre-diabetes, can be diagnosed through fasting glucose levels or responses to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Such patients are also at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), he said.

Prevention of diabetes mellitus type 2 can be achieved with lifestyle changes, proper nutrition and regular exercise, Dr Mishra said. Such interventions are safe and effective and also reduce the risk of CVD, he said.

Moreover, people should get regular check-ups every three months with Post Prandial Glucose (PPG), Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) and Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA16), doctors said.

Globally, the number of people with diabetes is expected to almost double in the next two decades, increasing from 194 million in 2003 to 380 million in 2025. Diabetes is associated with serious micro and macro vascular complications. In particular, it is a potent risk factor for CVDs and this complication accounts for much of the excess morbidity, mortality and costs of care associated with diabetes. That is why diabetes represents a critical public health challenge and an important target for prevention efforts, doctors participating in the event said.

Nearly 100 doctors from the state and abroad attended the programme. Eight noted diabetes specialist doctors presented scientific papers on varied topics ranging pre-diabetes, management of hyperglycemia in T2DM, role of GLPI analogue, role of SGLT2 inhibitors, C V risk reduction in T2DM, current guidelines in management of hyperglycemia, insulin therapy including diabetes and CKD, pregnancy and diabetes.