Diabetes on rise among urban Indian women

Incidence of diabetes is increasing rapidly among urban women in India, putting 

them at risk of various other diseases, and thereby , leading to premature mortality. 

Prevalence of the disease condition is 17.7% among urban middle class women while 

it is 10% in rural areas, shows a latest study.

The study , funded by the department of science and technology (DST), showed 

significantly increasing trend in women's body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, 

waist-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose and cholesterol.

The study , one of the largest conducted among women in India, evaluated 6,853 women

over 3-4 years under population-based cross-sectional studies conducted at five 
different  sites across the country . A report on it was published in medical journal PLOS One.

Findings of the study show urban women are worst affected under all the indicators, 

even as there is an increasing trend of risk factors among women in rural areas too. For 

instance, diabetes is prevalent only among 2.2% of rural women, whereas 22.5% are 

overweight as against 45.6% of urban poor and 57.4 of urban middle class women.

“In urban areas, women have even more responsibilities as they often go out and work. 

They do not exercise as regularly as men, their eating habits are irregular and they 
do not  even go for health check-ups,“ says Dr Anoop Misra of Fortis CDOC hospital 
for diabetes  and allied specialities. He is also a co-author of the study.

The study estimates that more than 80% of the global diabetes and cardiovascular 
disease burden shall be in low and middle income countries such as India and China by 2025.

Source :The Times of India: 17.11.2016