Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Dec 13: Diabetes cases in Karnataka are rising at an alarming rate, with the state climbing from sixth to third place in the national pre-diabetes ranking. According to data released by ICMR, more than one lakh new diabetes cases have been reported in just the last three months. Shockingly, Type-2 diabetes is now being detected even in children as young as three years old.
Type-1 diabetes is present from birth, while Type-2 typically develops later in life. However, doctors reveal that 90–95% of current cases are Type-2, and unlike earlier when diabetes was mostly detected after age 50, the condition is now increasingly seen among young adults aged 20–30 and even children aged 3–5.
Under the National Programme on Control of Diabetes (NPCD), Karnataka continues to see a steep rise in diabetic patients. Doctors report that 40–50% of those visiting hospitals are being diagnosed with diabetes. Without early control, the number of diabetic patients in the state may double in the coming years.
Experts attribute the surge to drastic lifestyle changes, increased consumption of high-carbohydrate foods, excess sugar intake, heavy use of processed items, stressful living, and lack of exercise. Renowned psychiatrist Dr Kiran Kumar P K notes that newly diagnosed patients often develop severe anxiety upon learning they have diabetes.
Dr Satish Shankar, the architect of the Diabetes-Free India Campaign, says early-stage diabetes can be managed by lifestyle modification, following Ayurvedic daily routines, and using natural remedies like turmeric, gooseberry, and Ekanayaka root.
Paediatrician Dr Satish Kumar warns that diabetes has been increasingly detected in children over the last 5–6 years. Reduced outdoor activity, increased screen time, overeating, and growing obesity are contributing factors. As a result, cases of pre-diabetes in children are now reported almost daily.
Diagnosing Type-1 diabetes in children can be difficult. Symptoms like excessive thirst, frequent urination, stomach pain, vomiting, and recurrent fevers should prompt immediate blood tests. Delay in diagnosis can lead to severe complications, including coma, he cautioned.
While diabetes is a global concern, India faces particularly high numbers. One in ten people worldwide has diabetes, and India stands at 10.8% prevalence, ranking second globally, behind China.
The states with the highest diabetes prevalence in India are Tamil Nadu at 40%, followed by Goa at 37%, Karnataka at 33%, Punjab at 30.4%, and Uttarakhand at 28.4%. Additionally, Manipur reports a prevalence of 26.7%.