India tops world chart in diabetics: study

BANGALORE: This is not a sweet news on World Diabetes Day. India has the world's largest population of people with diabetes - 50.8 million - as per latest statistics of the International Diabetes Federation.
An IMRB survey done in six cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad) released on Saturday said timely treatment of the dreaded disease will go a long way in bringing down the number of Indians with diabetes.
More than 60% of insulin users said they were more in control of diabetes after taking insulin and that they felt more energetic. As many as 81% of the patients were put to insulin due to uncontrollable blood sugar levels, the survey facilitated by world leader in Diabetes care, Novo-Nordisk, said.
Respondents were asked to compare different aspects of their day-to-day life with insulin to the earlier period when they were exclusively on oral medication for diabetic control. The survey revealed interesting facts - while overall health improved by 60% and energy levels went up by 57%, freedom in eating remained the lowest at 41%, clearly indicating that diet compliance is a must for those with diabetes.