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“Incredibly, one in four Americans over age 20 has prediabetes — and most don’t even know it. Being prediabetic means that your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but short of being classified as diabetic levels. Studies show that most people with prediabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years, unless they lose weight and make dietary and exercise changes.” These are the opening lines of what I believe is a “must read” article by Paula Spencer Scott, Senior Editor at Caring.com.

I am sure the corresponding figures for India won’t be too different, particularly if we speak of today’s India which has a far more affluent urban base than in past decades.

A combination of high fat food, lack of exercise and sitting for long hours at work contribute towards even younger people developing early stage diabetes. I was astonished to find that India might become the “diabetes capital” of the world. A study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), establishes that an estimated total of 62.4 million people in India suffer from diabetes.

Dr. Bharat Arora an authority in the field believes that as per their study an additional 77.2 million Indians are at an increased risk of contracting diabetes (they are termed pre-diabetics) during their lifetime.

It is suggested that Indians develop diabetes 10-15 years earlier than people in the West. This article in The Express by Dr. Rajiv Gupta highlights reasons why the incidence of diabetes is growing at such an alarming rate in India.

These trends indicate that diabetes is no longer a disease reserved for the elderly. Executives in the prime of life, as well as younger people starting their careers, would do well to be aware of the dangers of diabetes and take steps to ensure that they don’t fall prey to this killer disease.

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