Teens ages 13 to 15 have started developing type 2 diabetes in Pakistan, experts claimed Monday, advising people to return to active lifestyles by staying away from screens, exercising 40 to 50 minutes a day and Eat healthy and balanced diets to avoid chronic diseases.
“We feel very depressed when teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 develop type 2 diabetes in Pakistan. Girls are more prone to type 2 diabetes than boys in Pakistan, but we are seeing an increasing number of teenagers developing type 2 diabetes in the country, ”said Dr. Nadeem Naeem, consulting diabetologist, at a press conference following a diabetes screening camp at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Monday.
The diabetes screening camp was organized by the Ehad Medical Center in collaboration with the KPC’s Discovering Diabetes project, during which members of the press club, employees and their family members were examined for diabetes, blood pressure, uric acid, body mass index and bones Mass density and cholesterol. Consultant doctors were also present to provide advice to patients and pre-diabetic patients.
The diabetologist Dr. Nadeem Naeem said Pakistan is currently facing a diabetes epidemic with over 20 to 25 million adults living with diabetes. He warned that due to a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits, adolescents and teenagers in the country now also develop diabetes, which is an extremely alarming situation.
“We used to see people who got diabetes in their forties, then thirties, but today it is very common in their twenties and even teenagers. This situation can have a serious impact on the nation of Pakistan, ”said Dr. Naeem, adding that people need to rethink their priorities and develop a strategy to save themselves and their children from this chronic lifestyle disease.
When talking about fasting in Ramazan, he said that fasting is extremely good for obese people, pre-diabetic people, and those recently diagnosed with diabetes. He added that people with moderate and severe diabetes should consult their doctors before the holy month of Ramazan begins so that their medication and diet can be tailored to their health conditions.
“I also want to tell people that if their sugar level falls below 70, if their sugar level is above 300, they should break their fast as well. Testing sugar and receiving insulin are allowed while fasting. “
Dr. Babar Saeed Khan, a respected public health expert and chief executive officer (CEO) of Ehad Medical Center, said that around 20 to 25 percent of adults in Pakistan live with diabetes and many of them are unaware of their disease have a ” Discovering Diabetes “project where people can call a hotline for free advice and screening for diabetes.
“When a person calls the Discovering Diabetes Hotline 0800-66766, they are asked four simple questions about age, family history, and waist size. If there is any suspicion that they may be diabetic, they are advised to consult a local diagnostic center. Free screening is available, while free teleconsultation is also offered to such patients. “
When asked, he said the Ehad Medical Center was a patient-centered healthcare solution with all healthcare facilities available under one roof. He added that during the pandemic, they developed the concept of virtual health, where patients receive medical advice online and seriously ill patients are also treated at home.
Dr. Anam Dayem, director of telemedicine at Ehad Medical Center, said that over 250 people die from complications from diabetes every day in Pakistan, much higher than the deaths from Covid-19 in the country. She called for diabetes to be taken seriously at the national, provincial and common levels.
“One in four people in Pakistan is diabetic, and now even young people are developing type 2 diabetes. In these circumstances, there is an urgent need to raise awareness of the disease and promote telemedicine and telehealth facilities to provide health services to the majority of people, ”she said, urging authorities to stop health services, including the discovery of diabetes to avail the private sector project.
