People with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to suffer a stroke

Experts share advice on how to store insulin properly.

KARACHI: Cardiovascular complications occur in diabetic patients at an earlier age and often result in premature death, said experts at a press briefing at the Dow Medical College on Wednesday.  National Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology (NIDE) of the Dow University of Health Sciences in collaboration with the Diabetic Association of Pakistan (DAP) organised the event.

The overall cardiovascular morbidity and mortality rate in diabetics is two to four times higher. In fact, death due to heart diseases in women with diabetes is 23% higher compared to those without the condition.

Diabetes is also the leading cause of end-stage renal failure, accounting for about 43% of new cases every year. It can lead to blindness between the ages of 20 to 74 years while the risk of leg amputation is 15 to 40 times higher as well.

In Pakistan the total annual cost of diabetic treatment is not known, but in the US during 2002, it was estimated to be $132 billion. This implies that one out of $10 is spent on the treatment of diabetes.

DAP chief Prof. Samad Shera said that diabetes was preventable through changes in lifestyle. The patient should exercise regularly, normalise their blood glucose in order to monitor and control the condition.

According to the director of NIDE, Prof. Zaman Shaikh, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Pakistan is very high - around 10% among adults. The high figures of the overall prevalence of abnormal glucose tolerance (Diabetes Mellitus and Impaired Glucose Tolerance) are equally alarming, 20.5% in women and 15.9% in men.

He said that insulin is essential not only for the health of diabetics but is life-saving for people with type I diabetes. DUHS Vice Chancellor Prof. Masood Hameed Khan recommended that due to its sensitive nature, insulin should be stored in a controlled environment with a temperature between 4 to 8 degrees Centigrade.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2011.