Professor Shashank Joshi: Diabetes presents a complex landscape, involving fluctuating glucose levels and potential comorbidities like heart disease and obesity.
Dr. Prashanth Subramaniam: Diabetes management has witnessed significant advancements enhancing support for both patients and caregivers.
The adoption of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices using smartphones and other digital platforms has created a robust digital ecosystem.
How do continuous glucose monitoring devices help people with diabetes manage the condition and reduce risk of comorbidities?
Life changing technology CGM helps in diabetes management, enhancing both glucose management and overall health outcomes.
In recent years, India has found itself at the forefront of a silent yet staggering health crisis: diabetes. With a population of over a billion, the nation grapples with an unprecedented rise in diabetes cases, presenting a formidable challenge to its healthcare infrastructure. Recent studies highlight a stark reality: approximately more than a million individuals are diagnosed with diabetes, with an additional million in pre-diabetic stages. Against this backdrop, the urgency for more effective management initiatives becomes more apparent.
Professor Shashank Joshi, President, Indian Academy of Diabetes & Consultant Endocrinologist, Lilavati Hospital & Joshi Clinic, & Dr. Prashanth Subramanian, Head of Medical Affairs, Emerging Asia & India, Diabetes Care, Abbott, share their insights on diabetes and how to manage the condition better.
1. Can you elaborate on how diabetes prevalence in India has evolved in the past decade?
Professor Shashank Joshi: The status of diabetes prevalence in India underscores a pressing public health challenge, with approximately 101 million individuals diagnosed with diabetes and an additional 136 million in pre-diabetic stages as per a recent ICMR study. Over the past decade, a sharp 44% increase in diagnosed cases. This escalating trend can be attributed to multifactorial determinants including demographic transitions, urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, and dietary habits.
2. How does one address the link between diabetes and comorbidities like heart disease and obesity?
Professor Shashank Joshi: Diabetes presents a complex landscape, involving fluctuating glucose levels and potential comorbidities like heart disease and obesity. There's a close link between diabetes and obesity, both tied to heart disease biomarkers. Diabetes poses risks such as hypertension and high cholesterol, making people with diabetes two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease.
These issues are interconnected and require a holistic approach, including lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, healthy eating, and weight management. Moreover, early detection and regular monitoring of glucose levels, hypertension, and dyslipidemia are essential in preventing cardiovascular complications in people with diabetes. Using technology like CGM to keep a check on blood glucose levels further enhances management precision, helping timely adjustments in treatment.
3. What are some holistic ways to effectively manage diabetes?
Professor Shashank Joshi: In holistic diabetes management, addressing glucose control alongside overall health is crucial. Lifestyle changes are pivotal, such as regular physical activity (like brisk walking or swimming) to enhance insulin sensitivity and manage weight. A balanced diet, rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats, helps regulate blood glucose and reduces cardiovascular risks. Stress management techniques like meditation, deep breathing, and yoga are also important, as chronic stress can negatively impact blood glucose levels.
However, with the rising burden of diabetes and its associated comorbidities like heart disease and obesity, technological advancements such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices have become indispensable tools. Just as a car’s dashboard alerts to speed or fuel levels, CGM signals highs (hyperglycemia) or lows (hypoglycemia), allowing prompt adjustments to diet or medication to maintain stability. CGM's continuous, real-time data empowers individuals to navigate their health journey safely, akin to drivers relying on their car's dashboard for informed decisions and a smooth ride.
4. How has monitoring and overall management evolved to support patients and caregivers?
Dr. Prashanth Subramaniam: Diabetes management has witnessed significant advancements enhancing support for both patients and caregivers. The adoption of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices using smartphones and other digital platforms has created a robust digital ecosystem. This integration allows for seamless data transmission, comprehensive data analysis, and remote connectivity with healthcare providers and caregivers. This enables the doctor to provide timely guidance and treatment adjustments, minimizing the need for emergency appointments and allowing proactive management of the patient's condition.
5. How do continuous glucose monitoring devices help people with diabetes manage the condition and reduce risk of comorbidities?
Dr. Prashanth Subramaniam: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices play a pivotal role in managing diabetes and mitigating associated comorbidities like heart disease and obesity. By providing real-time glucose level monitoring, CGM devices enable individuals to manage their conditions effectively, thus reducing the risk of complications. Studies like LIBERATES have shown that CGM usage significantly reduces hypoglycemia levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes who have experienced a recent heart attack compared to traditional self-monitoring methods.
Moreover, CGM devices contribute to optimizing glucose levels and improving HbA1c levels, subsequently lowering the risk of complications such as hypertension and high cholesterol. Through lifestyle adjustments and treatment regime, CGM devices empower individuals to make healthier choices and manage their condition comprehensively. Life changing technology CGM helps in diabetes management, enhancing both glucose management and overall health outcomes.
(The views expressed here are of Professor Shashank Joshi, President, Indian Academy of Diabetes & Consultant Endocronologist, Lilavati Hospital & Joshi Clinic & Dr. Prashanth Subramanian, Head of Medical Affairs, Emerging Asia & India, Diabetes Care, Abbott.)
Disclaimer: This article is a promotional feature and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. The information does not constitute medical/health advice. Readers are strongly advised to consult a registered medical practitioner.
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