29pc diabetics face peril of losing eyesight: BES study

An estimated 29 per cent of diabetic patients are facing a concrete risk of losing eyesight as the disease causes other serious and life-threatening illnesses subsequently.
The figure was alarming and it needed additional precautionary measures, said Dr Shahjada Selim while sharing the findings of the new study at a media briefing at the National Press Club on Tuesday.
World Diabetes Day is being observed today.
The Bangladesh Endocrine Society (BES) carried out the study.
Dr Selim, general secretary of the BES and associate professor of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), chaired the briefing.
There are an estimated 10.8-million diabetic people in Bangladesh, a gradual increase since the data from 2021 of 10.31 million.
Bangladesh ranks eighth in the world, which could further get down to seventh in the coming years, speakers at the event made the apprehension.
Bangladesh mostly reports almost 95 per cent of type-02 diabetics and this type mostly does not show major symptoms at the early stage.
Therefore, people are not aware of being infected with diabetes, they said.
Mass screening, especially people who are at risk of being infected due to health condition and family history of having diabetics, must go for screening regularly as a prevention measure.
Dr Selim said, "In rare cases, diabetes is reversible. It happens if diagnosis is done at an early stage and patients don't develop any health complications."
"We need more research to learn on this, including understanding the disease vigorously in Bangladesh perspective."
So many people show ignorance to maintain a proper health guideline while some avoid proper care due to costly treatment.
Meanwhile, there is a severe lack of health specialists in the country against the number of diabetic patients in Bangladesh.
"We've only 320 diabetic specialists and we need to double it in the next couple of years. There is a necessity for about 50,000 specialists, which is far from reality."
Experts fear that this number of diabetic patients may double in the next four years.
As such, they fear that the number of diabetes patients, one of the four non-communicable diseases of the country, may reach 10.5 million by 2025, BIRDEM Hospital director (education) said Prof Dr Md Faruque Pathan.
At present, diabetic patients are increasing almost equally in urban and rural areas. Bangladesh is a diabetes-prone country in the world and the actual situation is even more serious, they warned.
Other BES members also spoke at the event.

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