Maharashtra: Nearly 39% of girls in the 16- 18 age group living in rural areas of Maharashtra are prediabetic, a study conducted by the BKL Walawalkar Rural Medical College, Ratnagiri, has revealed.
The findings of the study were discussed at a two-day international conference on ‘Pre-Diabetes to Diabetes: The Trajectory of Concern’, held at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital recently.
According to diabetologists, the study, which surveyed 1,520 participants between 16 to 18 years of age, highlighted that 2% of teenagers were diagnosed with pre-hypertension and 12.7% had low high-density lipoprotein.
Diabetologist Raises Concerns
“There is a need for a comprehensive intervention and holistic approach to promote healthy lifestyle in rural areas as ‘pre-diabetes’ is a serious health condition in which blood glucose levels are elevated, but not high enough to define as Type 2 diabetes. In this study, 39% of adolescent girls were found to be pre-diabetic,” said diabetologist Dr Suvarna Patil.
Dr Patil said global prevalence of pre-diabetes, defined by impaired fasting glucose, was 5.8% (298 million) in 2021 and was projected to reach 6.5% (414 million) in 2045.
“The future generation of Maharashtra is at risk of having more diabetes cases in younger population. The government needs to take measures to curb lifestyle diseases, which are on the rise,” Dr Patil said.
A two-day discussion on ‘Journey from Pre-Diabetes to Diabetes’ was organised by the Life Science Institute at the International Conference ‘Vishwa Swastham’.
According to a recent study by ICMR-INDAB, about 15.4% of the urban population and 15.2% of the rural population in India are pre-diabetic.
Gopal Sharma, director of the Life Science Institute, said people can reduce the risk of diabetes permanently by making lifestyle changes and getting timely check-ups. Improving individual health can contribute to global efforts to curb the rising prevalence of diabetes, he said.
