‘Proper medication, diet necessary for diabetics during Ramzan’

LUCKNOW:Caution about medication and diet can help diabetics keep fast comfortably during Ramzan, said Dr Dinesh Kumar and Dr Sanjay Arora at a press conference on Friday.

“Dehydration is the biggest threat during this period due to excessive heat. Planned diet can help sustain heat during the day for diabetics,” said Dr Sanjay.

Diabetes is a disease characterized by an increase in blood sugar. In India, 72.9 million people are living with diabetes. One out of 6 diabetes patients in the world is an Indian. The estimate of children and adolescents below 19 years, with type 1 diabetes, has risen to over a million.

Rapid urbanization, unhealthy diet, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles have resulted in previously unheard higher rates of diabetes. Another factor adding up to the risk for diabetics is fasting without precaution. It can also increase the threat of dangerously high blood sugar, said doctors.

With so many diabetics deciding to fast, the importance of practical diabetes and Ramzan guidance becomes evident. Potential health hazards include hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, dehydration and acute metabolic complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis. “If people know the type of diabetes they are living with and the precautions they need, keeping fast will be easy and there will be no ill effects of the hot weather,” said Dr Sanjay.