The Bitter facts of ‘Sugar’ Disease

Currently there are over 400 million diabetics in the world affecting close to 69 million in India alone.

This number may rise up to 140 million by 2024. Recently Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman Narayana Health in

NH Dialogues had discussed the adverse effects, causes, symptoms and treatment methods for diabetic

patients across the globe. Dr. Satish Kumar, Head of Endocrinology of Diabetes and Bariatric Medicine,

at Narayana Health City, Bangalore and Dr. Prem Kumar Patidhar, Consultant Endocrinology at NH Jaipur

joined Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health, in a 40 minute Q&A session.

Types of Diabetes

The session started by addressing simple questions about diabetes, their symptoms, causes and their

existing prevalence. The two types of diabetes are Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes. Type 1 also

known as juvenile diabetes is found to occur predominantly among kids. This is due to the absence of

insulin, a hormone that breaks down sugar or glucose into energy. Type 2 diabetes occurs in older

people belonging to the 20-30 year mark.

Signs of Diabetes

Signs such as an increase in thirst, frequent urination, a constant feeling of tiredness, fungal infections

that take too long to heal and a family history of diabetes are the common signs of this disease.

Factors Causing Diabetes

The doctors at Narayana Health mentioned that a patient’s diet and lifestyle play a vital role in

preventing diabetes. Another leading factor is when they develop Acanthosis Nigricans- black lines

behind the back of the neck. Apparently, around 50% of heart patients, who undergo cardiac bypass

surgeries, are diabetic in nature. That is why patients who follow a well-balanced diet, coupled with

plenty full exercises, are at an advantage of leading a healthier life. The diabetic experts at Narayana

Health advice patients to avoid sweets and food items, which all have a high value of sugar.

Treatment

For type 1, insulin injections are mandatorily recommended while for type 2, it depends on the patient’s

sugar level, age, genetic factors and lifestyle habits. An alternate option would either be the intake of

oral medication or the use of an insulin pump. Dr. Prem mentioned that an excessive intake of alcohol

can damage the pancreas and cause pancreatic diabetes. He also said it’s best to eat a satisfying meal

after consuming alcohol, in order to avoid going into hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia

This brings us to the topic most related to diabetes - hypoglycemia or hypo. Too much insulin or too

little food can spark a hypo. Symptoms of hypo include sweating, hand tremors, anxiety, palpitations,

headache, burring of vision, emotional liability and an increase in hunger. In order to get out of hypo,

the patient is advised a small snack such as biscuits, fruit juice, and a glass of milk, fruit, cereal bar or

light yoghurt can all help to stabilize and maintain blood glucose levels.

The webinar ended with the doctors strictly advising patients to exercise daily for at least 30-40 minutes

and follow a strict healthy diet to live a happy and healthy diabetic life. Watch the full length webinar at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXks0gOtWIk

About Narayana Health:

We are headquartered in Bengaluru, India, and operate a national network of hospitals in India with a particularly strong

presence in the southern state of Karnataka and eastern India, as well as an emerging presence in western and central India.

Our first facility was established in Bengaluru with approximately 225 operational beds and we have since grown to 57 facilities

with 5,442 operational beds as on Jan'16, through a combination of greenfield projects and acquisitions. We believe our

"Narayana Health" brand is strongly associated with our mission to deliver high quality and affordable healthcare services to

the broader population by leveraging our economies of scale, skilled doctors, and an efficient business model.

In aggregate, our centres provide advanced levels of care in over 30 specialties, including cardiology and cardiac surgery, cancer

care, neurology and neurosurgery, Orthopaedics, nephrology and urology, and gastroenterology.

1. Includes 56 facilities in India and the 1 facility in the Cayman Islands operated by our associate company, HCCI.

2. Includes facilities and beds across hospitals that are owned, operated, leased and managed, and the 101 operational

beds and 104 capacity beds facility in the Cayman Islands operated by our associate company, HCCI.

For more information about Narayana Health, visit http://www.narayanahealth.org/