Diabetes a leading cause of Kidney failure: Dr Manish Singla

A recent report of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) states that the Chandigarh tricity has the highest prevalence of diabetes cases when compared to the states of Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. The city records a 13.6% prevalence of diabetes and 14.6% of pre-diabetes. The worrying thing is that Diabetes is also a leading cause of kidney failure. 

A genetic predisposition, as well as unhealthy lifestyle choices triggered by rapid urbanisation and cultural and socio-economic growth, are key reasons for the increasing disease incidence in the tricity of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, said Dr Manish Singla, Nephrologist and Transplant Physician. 

Dr Manish Singla, Nephrologist

Data from the Chandigarh Population Census 2011 reveals that 97.25% of the city’s population can be defined as urban. The everyday life of these urban Indians is primarily sedentary, dependent on alcohol, cigarettes and unhealthy comfort foods as stress busters, and lacks regularity, all contributors to the increasing incidence of diabetes and related illnesses like hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity and heart disease.

Diabetes, a chronic disease, occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels. 

Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney failure, blindness, non-traumatic leg amputations, stroke and heart disease worldwide and is associated with a reduced lifespan and quality of life.

Diabetes is mostly a silent and hidden condition which gets diagnosed only when permanent organ damage has occurred. Type 2 Diabetes which is the most widely prevalent form is caused due to lifestyle irregularities and can be prevented and easily managed if timely lifestyle modifications are made.

While Chandigarh residents are found to have a lower incidence of general infections given that it is one of the cleanest Indian cities, the city loses its battle to lifestyle diseases. Given the high stress, sedentary lives lived by the majority of the population especially young adults, the incidence of hypertension, obesity and diabetes remains high.