Hyderabad: An informative WhatsApp channel, Diabetes Connect, meant to educate, empower, and transform diabetes patients, was launched on Thursday.
From personalised nutrition tips to the latest updates in diabetes care, the WhatsApp channel will provide diabetes support free of cost.
Speaking at the launch, gastroenterologist Dr Guru N Reddy highlighted the financial burden of diabetes, which can consume up to 25% of monthly household income. Therefore, empowering patients with knowledge can help, said the doctor.
“Over the past 30 years, from 1990 to 2024, the prevalence of diabetes significantly increased, with 12-24% of women and 11-23% of men in India now affected. Diabetes often progresses silently, which makes it particularly dangerous. Only one in two individuals with diabetes are diagnosed, while the rest remain under the radar, with silent diabetes progressing unnoticed. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to severe complications, including heart attacks, liver issues, vascular diseases, and ulcers, and may even pose a greater health threat than cancer due to its wide-ranging impact on overall health,” he said, during the launch at Continental Hospitals.
“Hopefully, with the channel, people living with diabetes will have the resources they need to manage their condition effectively and improve their quality of life,” he added. He also pointed out that diabetes is a multifactorial condition, which requires addressing not just blood sugar levels but also stress and conditions like fatty liver.
“The number of young patients with diabetes increased, largely due to a lack of physical activity and high carbohydrate intake,” said Dr Deepika Patel.
