Is your child’s health, a priority? Dr Adityan Guhan, Director of AGs Healthcare, asks parents. He quotes a World Health Organisation and World Diabetes Foundation study on Type I diabetes in children and says, “Four out of every five parents are not aware that their child is diabetic and neglect symptoms in their children ranging from significant weight loss of five to six kilos in a month and intense lethargy to excessive thirst and frequent infections.” Dr Adityan, who recently conducted a month-long free screening for Type I diabetes in children and gave away free glucometers to deserving families, says, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, it is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin by itself. “Pop singer Nick Jonas, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 13 years, spoke about it to raise awareness on the condition globally. Parents should be aware,” he says turning the spotlight on the need for a simple health check up early on to catch life threatening health issues. “Even now, any family with a diabetic child can approach us and get a glucometer for free. Constant monitoring of blood glucose levels is vital for such children to ensure a healthy living.”
Dr Adityan says a master health check up is a prerequisite, especially when India is considered the diabetic capital of the world. “When youngsters wake up to it later, their quality of life shrinks. It can lead to kidney failure that might involve a transplant costing several crores or it can affect vision leading to permanent blindness. When they catch it early, there are medicines to reverse diabetes when clubbed with a healthy lifestyle. Hypertension is also on the rise due to stress and unhealthy lifestyle choices like alcohol consumption. One can avoid trauma in the later part of life as well as financial and emotional burden by taking this small step.”
He reveals that of the over 2000 people he treated for COVID-19, 30 to 40 developed adverse health issues like stroke and heart attack because of unknown health reasons during post recovery period. “ The results of the study showed that 30 percent of them in the 35 to 45 years category were diabetic and not even aware of it. More than 80 percent of them had co-morbidities. A bi-annual health review is mandatory,” he explains.
While lifestyle changes, for example switching to millets that have complex carbohydrates and low glycemic index, and an active lifestyle can help cope, it’s an annual health check-up that helps one keep track of blood sugar, vitamin profile (especially vitamin B12 and Vitamin D), blood parameters, bone-muscle functions, lipid profile, and the functioning of a healthy heart, liver, and kidneys. He adds, “Almost 70 percent of COVID-19 patients in the study sample suffer from vitamin D or B12 deficiency. In the US and UK, there is a health insurance system that makes a master health check up mandatory. We have to get there soon.”
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