City witnesses a record 21% spike in diabetes consultations

PNS|Hyderabad

With the alarming rise of diabetes in the country, online consultations for diabetes are also increasing. Integrated healthcare company Practo has witnessed a 44% increase in diabetes consultation (in person) between October 2021 and September 2022. Tier-1 cities account for 95 per cent of these consultations out of which Hyderabad accounts for 14 per cent of total consultations, recording a 21 per cent increase within a year.

The top three leading searches for diabetes on Practo were Diabetes, Diabetologists and Endocrinologists. The former accounted for 46 per cent of the queries while the latter accounted for 54 per cent. The study also revealed that young Indians in the age group of 25 to 34 recorded the highest spike in consultations, with an increase of 46 per cent since last year.

Doctors suggest poor lifestyle choices, lack of exercise or even poor dietary habits as some of the factors contributing to the rise in diabetes among young Indians. The other cities which saw a rise in consultations are Mumbai (72%), Bengaluru (77%), Delhi NCR (46%), Pune (35%) and Chennai (34%).

Tier-2 cities on the other hand accounted for 5 per cent of all the consultations, recording a decrease of 24 per cent compared to last year. Dr Hema Venkatraman, Medical Advisor, Practo said, “The burden of diabetes in India has doubled in the last 20 years overwhelming the existing healthcare infrastructure, that has not grown proportionately. With as high as one in five adults estimated to have diabetes, it is time to rethink sustainable diabetes care delivery. The rollout of a nation-wide Diabetes Remission Programme is the need of the hour along with a strong public health campaign and policy change on advertising and healthy eating.”