The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Course to train doctors in diabetes management

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 30, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Course to train doctors in diabetes management

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MAY 29. Longer the belt, shorter the life. The modern day adage may be anathematic to most of the Indians who consider a slight paunch to be a sign of prosperity.

But medical experts assert that if your waist size is less than 90 cm, the risk of diabetes reduces by 75 per cent. This gives food for thought to Indians since the incidence of diabetes is set to increase phenomenally in the country in the next two and half decades, according to a recent study by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO projection is that by 2030, India will have nearly 80 million diabetics as against 31.7 millions recorded in 2000, making the country the diabetes capital of the world. And Hyderabad, billed as the most happening city in the country, would naturally lead from the front. It already has an incidence rate of 16 per cent, followed by Chennai (13.9%), Bangalore (11.9 %), Calcutta (12.4%), Mumbai (11.2%) and Delhi (10.5%) as per the National Urban Diabetes Survey (NUDS) carried out in 2001.

But why such steep upswing in India? "Sedentary lifestyle, genetic susceptibility, environmental and lifestyle changes resulting from industrialisation and migration to urban environment from rural settings could be responsible to a large extent," explains V. Mohan of Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF).

Another interesting finding, Dr. Mohan points out, is the strong belief that losing weight is an indication of sickness. "Most patients who lose weight through regular exercise and balanced diet, would get worried as relatives and friends keep asking them whether something was wrong with him," Dr. Mohan disclosed at a press conference here on Saturday.

What was compounding the problem was the dearth of trained doctors to treat diabetics, as there are no formal degree courses in diabetology in India. The MDRF and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) will organise a post-graduate course on diabetes from September 24 to 26. The course, open for those with MBBS or MD will train participants in fundamental areas of management of diabetes. The faculty would consist of eminent scientists from the United States. More details can be had from mdrfada@mvdsc.org or from the website www.mdrf-ada.com.

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