Diabetes: A killer disease

Diabetes is a dreadful disease of human beings and a great threat to the country's economy. A diabetic patient has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. This high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms of a) frequent urination b) thirst and c) hunger. If a person has too much glucose in hisher blood, it can lead to serious health problems. Diabetes is rising in developing countries like Bangladesh alarmingly. There are many reasons for the increase, but a key reason is that lifestyle is changing fast in developing countries. This change is related to urbanisation and globalisation. People are getting less physical exercise. In Bangladesh the number of women with diabetes will grow from the current 2.0 million to 4.0 million by 2025. During the same period, men with diabetes will rise from 1.8 million to 3.4 million. The trend of increase of diabetes with the urban population in Bangladesh is expected to be dramatically high over the next 20 years. This is due to the combination of the effect of urbanisation and migration from rural to urban areas. It is reported that diabetes has been gradually imposing a large economic burden on the national healthcare systems globally. Healthcare expenditure on diabetes, at the moment, accounts for 11.6 per cent of the total healthcare expenditure in the world. The largest economic burden caused by diabetes is the monetary value associated with disability and loss of life as a result of the disease itself and its related complications, including heart, kidney, eyes and foot diseases. Fortunately, the economic burden of diabetes can be reduced by implementing many inexpensive, easy-to-use interventions, and most of the interventions are cost-effective even in the poorest countries. Unfortunately, these interventions are not widely used in poor and middle-income countries. Let me mention here the case of my favourite teacher, a diabetic patient, Prof Md Solaiman Miah of the Department of Physics at Birganj Degree College in Dinajpur. We observed that one of the toes of his right leg was gradually becoming pale. Obviously, there was no trauma or injury. But with the passage of time it deteriorated, preventing him from walking. With a view to consulting a doctor Prof Miah came to Dhaka. A doctor diagnosed and found several blocks in his heart and leg. It is worth mentioning here that the professor never had any chest problems, such as chest pain, coughing, breathing problem etc. Prof Miah first underwent CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft) in February 2011. Subsequently, he underwent another major operation on his affected toe to remove the block. No sooner had he recovered than the toe began to deteriorate further. Finally, he underwent another operation and the surgeon amputated his toe. The poor professor has been suffering severely from diabetes throughout the year 2011 as before. Now he is confined at home and his healthcare expenditure took away what he had saved, even his retirement benefits. Thus diabetes crippled him both physically and economically. Md Saiful Islam Lake Circus, Kalabagan, Dhaka E-mail: saiful_ibsan@yahoo.com