Published on March 2021 | Endocrinology, Diabetes

Growing Obesity and its Link to Undiagnosed Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension in the Indian Population and how to Reduce this Burden of Diseases?

Despite widespread recognition that obesity is a strong risk factor for diabetes, we found that obese adults were no more likely to have their diabetes diagnosed than nonobese adults. Obese adults account for 2.7 million cases, or more than half of the 5.2 million cases, of undiagnosed diabetes each year in the U.S. Same or worse situation is in India. Absence of proper screening and awareness is the main reason behind this. Many patients come to the ward with chronic kidney disease, they are sometimes due to undiagnosed diabetes mellitus and hypertension. In the ward, many patients come with a very high blood sugar level and a poor HbA1C level. Lethargy, Nocturnal Urinations are very common symptoms for them. So, if a person has these symptoms, they should consult a general physician. Obese patient should consult a dietician and maintain the diet with a good physical exercise. To diagnose the undiagnosed cases of diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease and other non-communicable diseases, a mass and regular screening is needed.