More women than men have diabetes in Mumbai

MUMBAI: More Mumbai women suffer from diabetes as compared to men. This was revealed in a survey ahead of World Diabetes Day on November 14. Significantly, the city has the most diabetics in the country.
The survey conducted across five cities-Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Noida, Chennai-screened 28,79,175 people. Of the 24,34,799 people screened in Mumbai, 17.26% were found to be suffering from diabetes.But what was surprising was the fact that more women (50. 51%) were found to be suffering from diabetes than men (44.49%).
Dr Hemraj Chandalia, director of Diabetes Endocrine Nutrition Management and Research Centre (DENMARC), said: "The high numbers of diabetics is the result of a combination of genetics and environment. While Indians are genetically prone to diabetes, improving lifestyle is the key to reducing diabetes.''
Commenting on the fact that glucose abnormality was found more in the city's women, Dr Nadeem Rais, diabetologist from Breach Candy, said the trend is being seen for a few years. "Since almost a decade, the number of women suffering from diabetes has been shooting up. Obesity is a major reason for diabetes and more women tend to be obese than men. And their hormonal changes are much more frequent than men," he said.
The hormonal changes during puberty, pregnancy and due to contraceptives are reasons behind the obesity, and thus diabetes in women, Dr Rais explained. "Also, stress hormones act as direct anti-insulin agents, especially in women. Out of all endocrine patients (those prone to diabetes) we see, about 80% are women,'' added Dr Rais.
Another problem affecting Mumbaikars, especially women, is the lack of Vitamin D. While the only source of Vitamin D is the sun, an average Mumbaikar's lifestyle doesn't allow them to soak in the early morning sun, say doctors. "Vitamin D is needed for smooth functioning of beta cells in the pancreas, which produce insulin. So a vitamin D-deficient person becomes insulin-resistant and thus susceptible to diabetes,'' said Dr Anil Bhoraskar, from International Diabetes Federation, adding that 61.4 million Indians suffer from diabetes today.
According to Dr Jatindar Bhatia, chief of lab services, projects North India, Metropolis Healthcare, the higher prevalence of the disease in Mumbai is mainly due to two reasons. "The awareness level is high and more people go for screenings. Secondly, life in Mumbai is more stressful, which results in early onset of the disease," he said. The survey was conducted by Metropolis Healthcare.