Research conducted by Healthians shows diabetics who check blood sugar every two months show improvement
Checking your blood sugar levels regularly may seem tad obsessive but it may actually help control diabetes.
According to research conducted by a team at Healthians, a Gurgaon-based health check up service, rate of incidence of diabetes in the National Capital Region (NCR) is as high as 39 per cent for people above 25 years of age. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that causes the blood sugar levels to rise uncontrollably. The condition may also lead to heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputations etc. World Health Organisation estimates that there are approximately 70 million diabetics in India and the country is fast hurtling towards becoming the diabetes capital of the world.
People who get their blood glucose levels checked regularly are more aware of the disease and its complications. They achieve good control
The Healthians data shows that regular monitoring can improve diabetic conditions, such as fasting glucose levels. The team found that more frequent monitoring leads to a better improvement rate. “Regular monitoring has a huge psychological impact that motivates a person to take action. Tracking acts like a reminder. It alerts and prompts a person to do more for their health. Lifestyle changes and dietary control can effectively reverse diabetes,” said Dr Walia Murshida Huda, Head of Wellness Team at Healthians.
The analysis is based on more than five lakh glucose tests and over 80,000 glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) tests performed by across Delhi and NCR in 2017. According to the research, among those who monitored glucose levels twice a year, only seven per cent people saw an improvement. On the other hand, people reporting a marked improvement in their sugar levels rose to 41 per cent when a glucose test was repeated once every two months.
“People who get their blood glucose levels checked regularly are more aware of the disease and its complications. They achieve good control because checking blood glucose regularly means adaptation in diet, medicines prescribed by doctor and going for consultation at regular intervals, there is better compliance of medicine schedule that keeps blood sugar level under check,” said Dr Vikramjeet Singh, Senior Consultant of Internal Medicine at Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi. He was not involved in the research.
“People in Delhi NCR are known for their love for food. Moreover, due to a stressful life, growing pollution, traffic woes and decreasing leisure time, more and more people are adopting a sedentary lifestyle. The main cause of diabetes earlier used to be genetic. But today it has become one of the leading lifestyle ailments,” Huda said.
