Mysuru: Around 12% of the adult population in the state are now diabetic. The doctors blame the change in lifestyle, especially the lack of physical activities and changes in food habits, as the major causes of this worrying number of patients.
As per the data, among the 2,37,00,475 persons screened under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) as part of the National Health Mission (NHM) scheme, 28,83,541 persons were found to be diabetic in the state. This is the third highest number in the country after Maharashtra and Kerala.
According to the data shared by the Union minister of state in the ministry of health and family welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, in response to a question raised by the MPs Benny Behanan and Adv Dean Kuriakose in the ongoing Lok Sabha session, among them, 28,74,257 are under treatment.
At the national level, 32,33,32,732 adults were screened under the scheme, and among them, 2,96,26,225 were found diabetic.
According to the authorities in Karnataka, under the scheme and it is an ongoing project, persons above the age of 30 years have been screened since 2017. “Under the NCD project, every person above 30 years old is screened for seven lifestyle diseases, including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, etc. Govt doctors at the CHOs/PHCs are directed to ensure that all the adult population are screened under the project,” explained an officer from Mysuru.
JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSS AHER) vice-chancellor Dr H Basavanagowdappa, who is a physician, said 95% of the diabetic patients are suffering from type 2 diabetes. According to him, ten years ago, the state had around 12 lakh adult diabetes patients, which has now crossed 28 lakh. “Earlier, this disease was diagnosed among the population aged 45 to 50 years. But now, it has come down to 25 to 30 years,” he said. According to the doctor, even though heredity is one of the reasons for diabetes, it is occurring earlier due to various lifestyle reasons, especially the lack of physical activities and changes in food habits, etc., he said.