Experts alarmed over rise in diabetic cases

Health experts expressed their serious concern over the rising number of diabetic patients and warned that uncontrolled diabetes is the leading cause of heart attack, kidney failure, eye problems, feet injuries, and nerves related serious complications.

A senior medical specialist at PIMS Dr Sher Ali said that the number of diabetes patients in Pakistan is roughly more than 3 million which is alarming, adding, early diagnosis and timely interventions are crucial to prevent subsequent type 2 diabetes.

Healthy eating is an important way of managing blood sugar levels, said Dr Ali, adding that a person with a new diagnosis of diabetes may have to reconsider their diet. He said highly processed foods like fast food that are high in calories and low in vitamins, minerals, and fibre break down quickly in the body and can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels.

"There is an urgent need for reinvention of Pakistani cuisine, he demanded. “Every unhealthy eating habit should be avoided, especially rice in the form of biryani, soft drinks, and the so-called fast food."

Dr Ali said that most people living with diabetes are unaware of their health status and they only come to know about it when their eyes, kidneys, heart, or brain had suffered irreparable damage.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2023.