Doctors warn over rising diabetes rate among young people
Children belonging to rich families are more vulnerable in Bangladesh
A study has revealed that more young people are being diagnosed with diabetes than before in China, as well as other parts of the world.
The Chinese doctors have pointed out that obesity, an unhealthy diet, a lack of exercise, excessive stress, and chronic anxiety are among several risk factors causing diabetes; they are the main culprits behind the scenario, reports Xinhua.
Considering the issues, a local study by Bangladeshi physicians titled "Childhood Diabetes in a Bangladeshi Population" has described that urban children belonging to rich families are more prone to developing diabetes.
"The urban children from higher family income are the most vulnerable to developing diabetes, obesity and hypertension," it said.
Although the young generation of the country has not yet developed diabetes to a large extent, the prevalence of diabetes among adults is concerning.
According to another study, the number of diabetes patients in Bangladesh is increasing and is projected to reach 13.7 million by 2045.
In the global context, China has the largest number of diabetics worldwide, with more than 116 million people aged 20 to 79 years suffering from the disease, according to International Diabetes Federation data.
Weng Jianping, vice president of the First Affiliated Hospital under the University of Science and Technology of China, expressed concern over the growing number of young diabetes patients.
"The number of diabetes patients aged below 40 is surging rapidly, with the prevalence rate as high as 5.9%. Even more worrisome is that we have a large pre-diabetic population," he said.
Tong Xiaolin, an endocrinologist with Guang'anmen Hospital under the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, said diabetes can lead to serious health complications, such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and stroke.
"Clinically, with the rising prevalence of diabetes, the peak of complications looms large," Tong warned.
Zhang Qiumei, a Tianjin-based endocrinologist, said the major challenge facing diabetics is the lifelong control of sugar intake. Compared with type 1 diabetes, which is primarily genetic in origin, type 2 diabetes is generally considered a lifestyle disease.
Experts said rapid social and economic development in the past decades has led to a change in people's lifestyle, with more sedentary behavior and diets high in energy and fat.
They called upon people at risk of diabetes to undergo early screening at hospitals and for diabetics to master more self-management skills plus follow a healthy lifestyle.
"Early detection and treatment are key to controlling blood glucose and preventing complications," said Luo Yingying, a doctor with the Peking University People's Hospital.