Ahead of World Diabetes Day, a study conducted to map people's perceptions along with behaviour-related outcomes of diabetes management, revealed that 50% of diabetics in the country risk developing heart diseases.
The study conducted among 5,065 Indians in 16 cities, also found that 63% risk getting microvascular complications and many had the enhanced risk of developing eye problems, especially retinopathy.
"The findings are unique in terms of the insights it provides on people's perceptions about diabetes and its effects on morbidity and mortality. The findings should help us lay out a road-map to ensure its prevention and management," said Ashok Jain, Group MD and CEO, Lifespan Wellness Pvt. Ltd, which conducted the study.
As for diet and medication, the study found ignorance and faulty practices to be the main culprits. It showed that 29% of diabetics use honey/jaggery, with 41% found to be believing these are actually good for people with diabetes. 33% regularly consume juices, which have high glycemic index (not good for diabetes), with nearly 1 out of 2 considering all fruit juices to be good for diabetes. While it's well established that bitter gourd (karela) and fenugreek (methi) cannot treat diabetes, 40% of diabetics believe consuming them can cure them.
"42% Indians believe herbal treatment can cure diabetes, oblivious to the fact that consuming herbs could lead to toxicity in kidneys. Considering the role of diet and medication in diabetes management, it's important to counsel and educate people and rectify faulty perceptions," said Jain.
Between diabetics and non-diabetics, the study found that diabetics were more aware of the complications, but 35% (1 out of 3) of respondents did not know/were not sure if they were diabetic or not.
"The result, which is a combination of behaviour, perception and facts, will not only help stakeholders understand and control co-morbid conditions in diabetes, but can also help in policy making in terms of its management and prevention. I believe it's high time some kind of robust diabetes education and counselling module is formulated and implemented in the country, by which effective diabetes management can be ensured," added Jain.
