Diabetes : women are more at risk

On the 14th of November, the world celebrated the World Diabetes Day. The theme for this year is “Diabetes and Women.” It has been observed that women are more exposed to diabetes risk factors such as poor nutrition and physical inactivity due to socio-economic inequities.

The campaign this year will promote access to education and information for all women at risk to strengthen their ability to prevent type 2 diabetes. International Diabetes Federation believes that women can be the key to prevention of diabetes given its leading role in the family.

According to statistics, worldwide, 199 million women suffer from diabetes and this number is expected to increase to 313 million by 2040. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.6 million deaths (men and women combined) were directly due to diabetes in 2015. It predicts that by 2030, this disease will be the seventh leading cause of death in the world.

Dr. Laurent Musango, WHO representative in Mauritius, said that in 1980, diabetes affected 108 million people. “In 2014, this number was around 422 million and continues to grow. In addition, regarding adult prevalence, diabetes increased from 4.7% in 1980 to 8.5% in 2014. The rate almost doubled. Before, it was said that diabetes was a disease of the rich, because it was present mainly in developed countries. Today, diabetes is also found in low- and middle-income countries,” he says.

Alarming situation in Mauritius

In Mauritius, the situation is alarming. According to a study on non-communicable diseases and its risk factors (NCD Survey), it is estimated that 257,442 Mauritians aged between 25 and 74 years (19.4% among adults) were diabetic in 2015. The prevalence of pre-diabetic in Mauritius is also a source of concern. A pre-diabetic is a person who shows signs of insulin resistance, but who has not yet developed the disease. In addition, the prevalence of obesity, which contributes to the development of diabetes, was 19.1% in 2015. It is estimated that about 398,417 Mauritians are obese or overweight.

Moreover, statistics show that diabetes affects women slightly more than men in Mauritius. The non-communicable disease study found that in 2015, 23.5% of women aged 25 to 74 had diabetes (types 1 and 2). Type 2 diabetes affects 21.3% of women in this age group compared to 19.6% of men. Women are also more numerous (20.2% for women compared to 18.5% for men) to have reached the pre-diabetes stage. According to the Health Statistics Report 2015, diabetes is responsible for the deaths of 1,096 women out of a total of 2,285 deaths in 2015.

Women the most affected

Dr. Drushilla Mungur, head of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Unit at Flacq Hospital, discusses the relevance of the theme for World Diabetes Day 2017. “Women who develop type 2 diabetes have ten times more chances of having coronary heart disease. There is also gestational diabetes affecting about 11% of pregnant women in Mauritius. It is one of the main complications of pregnancy and presents risks not only for the mother but also and especially for the baby,” she explains.

Dr. Drushilla Mungur reports that in 2016, of the 30,931 people tested for type 2 diabetes, 57.8% (17,898) were women. “Generally, it is women who take care of the family’s food. They therefore have a key role to play in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. They are better able to inculcate good habits, such as the practice of physical activity in children from a very young age,” she says. Dr. Drushilla Mungur.

Similarly Dr. Veenoo Basant Rai, president of the Mauritius Diabetes Association, states that the woman is a role model for her family, hence it important for her to have a healthy lifestyle while maintaining the balance between professional and family life. For Dr. Basant Rai, the first step in a healthy diet for the child is breastfeeding. “Breastfeeding is the best protection against many non-communicable diseases, including diabetes,” she declares.