Welcome to the press meet organized on the event of World Diabetes day 2008 by Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI), West Bengal branch and Diabetic Association of India, West Bengal

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing rapidly all over the world. India leads the world with the largest number of people with diabetes earning it the dubious distinction of being the diabetes capital of the world. Currently there are around 40 million patients with diabetes in India and the number is expected to touch 70 million by 2025. The prevalence of diabetes amongst urban Indians is around 12% – much higher than the global prevalence.

New findings
Recently two important epidemiological studies have been published in the prestigious Journal of Association of Physicians of India. The first one, a study amongst 2160 police personnel of Kolkata aged between 20 & 60 years has put the prevalence of diabetes at above 11% and that of impaired fasting glycemia (a prediabetic state) at above 6%.

The study from Chennai found the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (of which diabetes is a part) to be 53% amongst police personnel and 28% amongst general people.

Significance of World Diabetes Day
Since 2007, 14th November is observed by the United Nations as the World Diabetes Day. Fourteenth November is the birthday of Sir Frederick Grant Banting–one of the discoverers of insulin, the wonder drug to treat diabetes.

Realizing that type 2 diabetes is increasing alarmingly in children and adolescents and the various problems that children with diabetes have to contend with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has selected diabetes in children and adolescents as the central theme of this year’s World Diabetes Day celebrations.