Mumbai:Â Diabetes, the sugar imbalance disorder that roughly affects one in five Mumbaikars, rarely occurs as an isolated condition and is often accompanied with stress, emotional and sleep disturbances, according to a new survey.
The survey of 3,000 patients found that 56% have hypertension and cholesterol-related imbalances. However, it found high levels of diabetes-related distress due to the “demands of managing diabetes”, dissatisfaction with physician/treatment, lack of family support or stress over diets. Around 42% of the 3,000 patients said they had high levels of such stress. Most identified the emotional burden of managing diabetes as the biggest stressor:
Diabetes-related distress is a recognised medical phenomenon, but not widely studied. “Diabetes distress is the emotional response to living with diabetes, the burden of relentless daily self-management and (the prospect of) its long-term complications,” according to NGO Diabetes UK. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to a number of problems, including heart attacks, blindness, kidney failure, stroke, among others.
DIABETES LOVES COMPANY
Diabetes occurs when a person’s blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high
77 million Indians have type 2 diabetes
60% have uncontrolled blood sugar
BMC study in 24 wards showed 6 of Mumbikars
A new survey of 3,000 patients showed mass Hypertension 56% Index of over 30 (obesity)
In the 18-30 age group, 63% had high stress while 28% in the 60+ category had stress
The survey found that yo unger patients had higher levels of diabetes-related distress: 63% of the patients in the 18-30 years were stressed as compared to 28% of the patients who were over 60 years of age. “This is possibly because senior citizens have possibly got into a rhythm with their medications and lifestyle modifications, while the younger patients have just begun,” said Dr Arbinder Singhal, who conducted the survey.
Sleep has in recent times be en recognised as one of the cau ses for diabetes, but around 76% of the patients surveyed complained that they had not had good sleep. Around 44% of the patients slept for less than six hours.
“Around 84% of the patients encountered sleep disturbances that included noise in the environment, high stress, tension, negative thoughts, among others,” said the survey.
Singhal, who runs a digital therapeutics company that works with diabetic patients, said that almost 12% of the new patients prefer to begin with the digital route instead of medicines.
