World Diabetes Day being observed with call for healthy lifestyle to combat surge

In observance of World Diabetes Day today, various organisations, including the Bangladesh Diabetes Association, are holding awareness events nationwide.
With the theme “Diabetes: Let Healthy Living Be Our Commitment,” this year’s focus highlights the importance of adopting lifestyle changes to prevent and manage diabetes.
Bangladesh Diabetes Association reports that between 6 and 14 percent of pregnant women in Bangladesh have diabetes, with around 50 percent of those with gestational diabetes at risk of developing type-2 later in life. Additionally, children born to mothers with gestational diabetes are at higher risk of developing diabetes in the future.
Currently, about 43.5 percent of diabetics in Bangladesh remain undiagnosed, and the disease accounts for roughly 10 percent of all deaths in the country, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
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Experts warn that diabetes, often termed a “silent killer,” is a chronic disease that can be prevented or managed with lifestyle adjustments. Maintaining controlled habits significantly reduces the risk of complications.
Data from the National Diabetes Treatment Guideline, released last year, reveals that approximately 13.1 million people in Bangladesh have diabetes, affecting 14.2 percent of those aged 20-80. Bangladesh ranks eighth globally in terms of diabetes prevalence, and projections suggest that by 2045, the number of diabetics in the country could rise to 22.3 million.————————–
BIRDEM Hospital, one of the nation’s major treatment centres for diabetics, reports that over 3,000 patients visit its outdoor services daily. Hospital authorities caution that uncontrolled diabetes can lead to severe health complications, including kidney, eye, heart, and foot damage.
Globally, IDF estimates there are currently 537 million adults with diabetes, with three in four cases found in low- and middle-income countries. In 2021 alone, diabetes claimed 6.7 million lives. By 2045, projections show that one in eight adults—approximately 783 million people—will be living with diabetes, a 46 percent increase from today.
Diabetes is typically classified into two types: type-1 and type-2. Type-1 diabetes, usually affecting individuals under 30, accounts for a small proportion of cases in Bangladesh. Type-2 diabetes, however, which is often driven by factors such as urbanisation, low physical activity, obesity, and poor dietary habits, impacts over 90 percent of diabetics in the country, according to the World Health Organization.
National Professor A K Azad Khan, President of the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, cautioned that the rise in diabetes is fueled by the consumption of fast food and fatty foods, lack of physical activity, and weight gain. He warned that if left unchecked, diabetes poses severe health risks, including heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, and potential limb amputations.