24% of people in Chennai are diabetics
Posted on: 11/Nov/2014 2:43:19 PM
The Centre for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia (CARRS) study conducted by the Madras Diabetic Research Foundation (MDRF) has shown that more than 24% of people in Chennai and Delhi, besides Karachi, are diabetics. This is a tenfold increase in their numbers since 1970, when the diabetic population stood at 2.3%.
In Chennai, 38% of people above the age of 40 are diabetics. "Especially the Chennai numbers are startling," said Dr V Mohan of MDRF. "The study shows the prevalence of diabetes in people above 20 years of age has gone up from 18.6% six years ago to 24.7% now."
In the past 40 years, diabetes has broken many barriers. While earlier it was believed to be the rich man`s disease, today it is found in the poorest of people. Over time, diabetes has destroyed the urban-rural divide as well, as sedentary lifestyle and a high fat diet has become common among all Indians.
