The first-ever comprehensive public evaluation of the prevalence of non communicable diseases in rural Tamil Nadu has concluded that the prevalence of hypertension is 14.8 per cent and diabetes, 13.5 per cent in the under-30 population.
The analysis is a result of over 46,000 camps (NCD) conducted in (42 health unit districts) the rural areas of the State, testing over 21 lakh people who attended them.
This makes it one of the largest population studies ever done in this part of the country for Non Communicable Diseases in the public sector.
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In terms of sheer numbers this works out to 3,23,254 people with hypertension, 13.5 per cent with Diabetes at 1,83,914, and persons with both conditions are 8,01,329.
This puts just over 36.7 per cent of the rural population at risk of complications due to hypertension and diabetes, including organ failure, stroke and heart attack, according to Director of Public Health, R.T. Porkaipandian.
More women than men had both hypertension (1,79,230) and diabetes (1,70,242), according to the survey.
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A risk score, slightly modified from the MDRF Indian Diabetes Risk Score, was administered to people under 30 by health workers going from home to home.
High risk
Those who were found to be at high risk were asked to come to the camps at the sub-centre level.
About 81 per cent of those people who were referred turned up at the camps. Diabetes was detected with a glucometer and hypertension, with the BP apparatus, explained Joint Director (Inspection) Amudha Devi.
Treatment
Diabetes and hypertension are treated at the Primary Health Centre itself, Dr. Porkaipandian explained.
A month's stock of drugs is dispensed to each patient, and all of them are encouraged to come for regular follow ups. Information on diet and physical exercise has also been provided to each patient.
All those with complications arising out of their diabetes or hypertension have been referred to tertiary care institutions, including district hospitals and medical college hospitals.