Ignoring early symptoms of diabetes and failure to change lifestyles is a major issue for diabetic people, said Dr KP Chandra, director, Chandra Diabetes and Obesity Clinic, in a press conference on Wednesday.

“It’s high time that people should be educated on the early symptoms and complications of diabetes. The cost of treatment goes up if complications occur. Hence, early diagnosis needs to be the focus area for educating people about diabetes,” said Dr Chandra.

Diabetes damages the body continuously and becomes evident only when an organ is damaged. Many times, medical care is initiated late and organs such as the kidneys, eyes, heart, and nerves are damaged irreversibly, said Dr Chandra.

The status of diabetes in India is alarming with more than 7 crore people affected by diabetes and the number is expected to double in the next 20 years. Increasing incidence of diabetes in the Indian population is mainly because of a sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, improper food habits, increased stress, pollution, apart from genetic disposition.

“One of the common types of diabetes is Gestational Diabetes, which develops in women during pregnancy, usually in the second half. Gestational diabetes usually develops in women who are overweight or obese and have some insulin resistance. High blood glucose level during pregnancy is dangerous for both mother and the child,” said Dr Chandra.