Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued new measures for the management of Type 1 diabetes. A recent study found a surge in Type 1 diabetes cases among children in India. As per the data, approximately 2.5 lakh people suffer from Type 1 diabetes in India. Out of these, around 95,600 cases have been detected in children below 14 years of age.
The study also reflected that every year around 15,900 fresh cases are being reported in the same age group.
Looking at the data, ICMR has issued a detailed document providing advice on the management of diabetes in children, teenagers, and adults. The guidelines are conceptualised by the doctors of AIIMS, ICMR officials, and several senior doctors in the country.
While diabetes can affect any age group, the study shows Type 1 diabetes is more common in children between 10-14 years of age. Whereas Type 2 diabetes is becoming prevalent in the age group of 25–34 years in both urban and rural areas.
The 173-page document outlines treatment, diagnoses, management, and complications in Type 1 diabetes. ICMR’s new guidelines suggest maintaining a healthy diet, monitoring blood glucose levels, exercising, etc. “Today, more and more children are being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in our country. This may be because the actual prevalence of the disorder is going up in India. It may also reflect better awareness and, therefore, improved diagnosis of type 1 diabetes,” reads the document.
The study also highlights that India has the second-largest adult diabetes population in the world and every sixth person with diabetes is an Indian. In the last 30 years, India saw a 150 per cent rise in the number of people with diabetes.
