‘Every 10 seconds, one person dies from diabetes-related causes’

KARACHI: Every 10 seconds, two people are diagnosed with diabetes, and one person dies from diabetes-related causes. Diabetes is also responsible for more than a million amputations each year across the globe.

These facts were revealed during a diabetes awareness session held at the Aga Khan University Hospital on Sunday. Experts talked at length of how simple lifestyle changes can help prevent diabetes, a medical condition that is a growing at a fast pace globally.



Addressing the audience present in high numbers in the session, consultant diabetologist and endocrinologist, Dr Najmul Islam emphasised on the growing health concerns caused by the condition. “Diabetes is the number one cause of loss of vision in adults, especially in industrialised countries,” he said. “For diabetic patients,  only taking medicines will not suffice they must exercise as well.”

Healthy diet

Speaking about the diet of diabetic patients, Islam said that the patients should ensure that they take complex carbohydrates and not refined sugars. “Food should not be cooked in ghee but in oil. Olive, sunflower, corn oil and canola are the four types of cooking oils that should be used,” he said.

Nutrition and endocrinology department clinical dietician Salma Siddiqui said that patients with type-two diabetes should include three main macro nutrients, carbohydrates (45-60%), Protein (15-20%) and fat (25-30%), in their diet.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2015.