Why diabetes symptoms in Indian kids emerge early

Why is diabetes so common in Indians? A study revealed that it is because of a tendency towards high glucose in early childhood. The study that spanned over three decades, tracked more than 700 families from Pune. The authors of the study have batted for a diabetes prevention strategy from early life. This comes in the wake of the new recommendation by experts to lower the screening age from 30 to 25.

At the Diabetes Unit of KEM Hospital, Pune, for 35 years, scientists have been trying to understand why diabetes is so common. The study is named ‘Poor In Utero Growth, Reduced b-Cell Compensation and High Fasting Glucose from Childhood are Harbingers of Glucose Intolerance in Young Indians’. The study, done by Dr C S Yajnik, Director of the diabetes unit at KEM hospital, has been published in Diabetes Care, Indian Express reported.

During the study, scientists measured glucose and insulin concentrations at ages 6, 12, and 18. At 18 years, 37% of men and 18% of women had elevated glucose levels. This is the stage of prediabetes. Another thing that came to the fore was half of the participants were underweight.

In the womb, children with sub-optimal growth carry high levels of risk factors for diabetes from early childhood.

High glucose tendency was visible when it was measured at ages 6-12. As per the researchers, it was driven by poor pancreatic functions during foetal life as part of general growth failure. This can happen due to the maternal glucose being minimally high during pregnancy, stressing the baby’s pancreas.

As per WHO data, India has an estimated 8.7 % diabetic population in the age group 20-70; at least 77 million people are with diabetes.

A nutrition survey (2016-18) done by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, UNICEF and Population Council among children and adolescents, too, during the 2016-2018 period found that diabetes is affecting children widely.

The survey found that almost 1 in 10 children (ages 5-9) were pre-diabetic, with 1% being already diabetic.

The cause of rising diabetes could be zeroed in on rapid urbanisation, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, tobacco use among others, Indian Express reported.