Diabetes on the rise in East Java

ID Nugroho, Surabaya

Didik Abdullah was confused. A cut on his right knee was not healing; in fact, it was getting worse and had begun to reek. His wife and two children, who had been patient with him, began to complain about the odor.

"Two weeks ago I decided to visit Dr. Soetomo Hospital for medical treatment," said the 52-years-old resident of Surabaya.

Abdullah said he never even suspected he might have diabetes. It was only after he was admitted to the hospital that he was diagnosed with the condition.

Diabetes mellitus, according to an internist at Soetomo Hospital, Dr. Askandar Tjokroprawiro, is caused by an anomaly in the body's production of glucose.

The number of diabetics has been on the rise in the country over the past few years, and East Java province has been particularly affected.

Data from the Global Project for the Diabetes Epidemic indicates that were some 118 million diabetics in 1995, with that number projected to rise to 221 million in 2010.

"In East Java province alone in 1995, there were 22,000 residents suffering from diabetes, but the number of diabetes patients soared to 35,000 six years later," Askandar said.

The rising number of diabetics is attributed to people's changing lifestyles, an aging population and obesity.

"People who are more affluent often eat fast food or other foods that lead to obesity, which later can cause diabetes," Askandar said.

He said most diabetes patients at Soetomo Hospital, the largest hospital in East Java, suffered from gangrenous infections to their feet and legs like Didik Abdullah.

Diabetics suffer from such infections because their bodies do not produce adequate amounts of the protein albumin. A lack of albumin makes it difficult for wounds to heal.

"Many people do not realize until too late that they have diabetes, so in the end diabetes ends up killing them," Askandar said.

The number of diabetics treated at Dr. Soetomo Hospital

Year diabetes patients

1964: 133

1970: 1,061

1975: 2,914

1980: 5,654

1984: 8,222

1986: 10,278

1987: 11,475

1988: 12,608

1989: 13,818

1990: 15,381

1991: 16,567

1992: 17,667

1993: 19,039

1994: 20,366

1995: 22,029

1996: 26,406

1997: 27,824

1998: 29,394

1999: 31,457

2000: 33,636

2001: 35,606

Source: Dr. Soetomo Hospital

Facts and Figures about diabetes mellitus

- Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder of glucose (sugar) metabolism caused by the inadequate production or use of insulin, a hormone produced in specialized cells (beta cells in the islets of Langerhans) in the pancreas that allows the body to use and store glucose.

- In 2003, the five countries with the largest number of people with diabetes were India (35.5 million), China (23.8 million), the United States (16 million), Russia (9.7 million) and Japan (6.7 million).

- At least 50 percent of all people with diabetes are unaware of their condition.

- Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment in adults in developed countries.

- The devastating complications of diabetes, such as blindness, kidney failure and heart disease, impose a huge burden on countries' health care services.

- There is conclusive evidence that good control of blood glucose levels can substantially reduce the risk of developing complications and slow their progression in all types of diabetes. The management of high blood pressure and raised blood lipids (fats) is equally important.

Sources: http://www.idf.org and http://www.encyclopedia.com/