Predictors of an Asian diabetes epidemic: A study

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJul 13 2010

Dr Ananya Mandal, MD

Experts believe diabetes will be the leading disease in Asia mainly because of the rise in consumption of junk and high calorie foods in this region of the world.

Consider this -

• 89 million Asians have type 2 diabetes and numbers are expected to rise. There are 33 million cases in India and 22 million cases in China alone.
• According to the World Health Organization 177 million worldwide have diabetes, a number that will reach 300 million by 2025 with 60% sufferers Asian.

Researchers from Australia and Vietnam studied 2,100 people of Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City and found that around 11 percent of men and 12 percent of women had undiagnosed type 2 diabetes and only 4 percent had diagnosed diabetes.

Diabetes that leads to high and uncontrolled blood sugar and often to heart, kidney, eye and nerve problems is believed to be a slow killer that is actually related to lifestyle as well as genetics. Professor Tuan Nguyen of the Sydney-based institute said, “Dietary patterns have been changing dramatically in Vietnam in recent years, particularly in the cities as they become more westernized.” He added that similar results were seen in Thailand and “other parts of South East Asia including Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Laos.”

According to Dr Nguyen Thy Khue, President, Endocrinology and Diabetes Association of Vietnam, the study chose to detect systolic blood pressure and waist to hip ratio as markers for increased risk of diabetes. He said that his team “found that the accuracy of the tool [blood pressure and waist to hip ratio] is about 70 to 75 per cent so I think our tool can be used as an initial screening tool to identify people for further testing.”

Professor Paul Zimmet, Emeritus Director, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute also said, “We're sitting on probably one of the largest epidemics in history and many Asian countries don't have the resources not alone to diagnose but also to treat people with diabetes so there could be a lack of enthusiasm at some public health levels because they're so scared there's such an untapped and large number people with type two diabetes that they could never treat them in any case.”