The second quarterly State conference organised by the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes concluded on Sunday in Kannur.
Experts in diabetes, who participated in the conference, said that unscientific treatment methods for diabetes adversely affect the functioning of various organs. The public needs to be scientifically educated about diabetes and its serious conditions, said a press statement.
The research society discussed in detail the causes of increasing incidence of diabetes and the challenges in its treatment.
Inaugurating the conference, State chairman Dr. G. Vijayakumar explained that the International Diabetic Federation estimates that the number of diabetic patients in the world will exceed 745 million by 2045. Kerala has the highest number of people with diabetics in India, he said, and added that diabetes is the leading cause for increasing number of kidney patients.
Renal disease specialist Dr. Sarang Vijayan said that one of the most important complications of diabetes is kidney disease.
During the conference, Akhila Bhandarkar of KSS Hegde Medical College, Mangalore, presented a paper on diabetes in women during pregnancy. She noted that a steady increase in sugar levels during pregnancy in women can lead to serious health problems, and in recent years, some pill-form drugs besides insulin have been shown to be effective.
Dr. Vijayakumar, diabetes specialist and society secretary Dr. P. Suresh Kumar, and endocrinologist Dr. Prashant Mappa participated in the panel discussions on the causes of diabetes, innovative treatments, and lifestyle changes.
