An estimated 38.6 million adults in India are living with undiagnosed diabetes, accounting for 43% of the 89.8 million adults living with the condition, according to a new survey commissioned by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
The symptoms often develop slowly – over the course of several years – and can be mild enough for one to not even take note. It flags a clear gap between people’s belief in the value of testing and their perception of their personal risk. “A quarter of a billion people worldwide are living with diabetes without knowing it. Our research shows that people at risk know diabetes is a problem. They just don’t believe it applies to them. Awareness of diabetes is not the same as awareness of your own risk.
The survey also said that an analysis of adults at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in India found that many underestimate their risk of the condition and are unsure how to access testing services. Type 2 diabetes – the most common form of the disease – occurs when the level of glucose, or sugar, in the blood is too high, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). Type 2 diabetes can develop at any age, including in childhood, but it most often occurs in middle-aged and older people. The research, released ahead of World Diabetes Day on November 14, surveyed 502 adults in India as part of a six-country study. only 14% believed they were likely to develop type 2 diabetes, despite nearly every respondent reporting at least two known risk factors While 84% agreed that a diabetes risk check is worthwhile even when they feel healthy. Three in four respondents (75%) wrongly believed that people with pre-diabetes, where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, usually have noticeable symptoms – the highest misconception from all six countries. Nearly half (48%) said they would not feel confident arranging a diabetes risk check. Fear of what the results might show was the most commonly cited barrier to getting checked (35%), followed by not believing they were at risk (25%) and difficulty getting a clinic appointment (22%). Practical and emotional barriers sit side by side: 18% cited embarrassment about discussing a check with a clinician and 12%, language or communication difficulties.
We cannot close the diagnosis gap if the people most in need of testing don’t know their own risk factors,” said professor Peter Schwarz, IDF president.
