Odisha 6th in diabetic deaths in country; 6 die every 24 hours!

Bhubaneswar: A seemingly imminent health warning for the State! Odisha ranked among top-ten states in country that record high mortalities owing to diabetes. The State records at least 6 medically registered deaths due to diabetes every 24 hours.

Such grim realities about growing lifestyle diseases in the State was to the fore recently, when the Registrar General of India (RGI) released its annual report on Medically Certified Cause of Deaths (MCCD) in the country.  The report has analysed the MCCDs across the states for the year 2017.

As per the report, Odisha in the year 2017 had recorded 2,111 medically registered diabetic deaths. The State figured as the sixth highest in the list led by Maharashtra. States like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Delhi are ahead of Odisha in diabetic mortality burden.

According to the report, RGI sees a prevalence of more grave scenario in the State as the certified medical cause of deaths recorded in the State is mere 11.7 per cent of the total deaths annually. The worse fact is despite the State having adopted the practice since a decade ago, the MCCD proportion to total deaths had seen a sharp drop to 11.7 per cent in 2017 from 13.7 per cent in 2015.

Odisha, which is the eleventh most populous State in the country, figured among top-10 states in the total annual deaths. The State had recorded an average of over 3.3 lakh deaths every year during the period 2015-17.  But the cause of a mere 37000-odd deaths were certified medically.

"A cent per cent certification will only help the State in identifying the disease burden, and allocating resources properly to control the growing incidence of a disease," observed the report.

As per the data available under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), Sambalpur district has reported the maximum cases of high sugar level. But Khurda district tops the State with high diabetes cases. Sources informed that Khurda district has the maximum rural populace affected by diabetes in the State followed by Sambalpur and Kandhamal.

Cuttack also figured in the high-burden list, revealed the data. Though proportionately more male are affected by diabetes than females, Keonjhar and Jharsuguda are two exceptions noticed in the State, data revealed. About half-a-dozen districts in State have diabetes affected population more than the State average, sources informed.

What is difference between high blood sugar and diabetes? As per medical science, high sugar level in blood is termed as hyperglycemia. The standard blood sugar level should be below 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl).

Doctors tend to diagnose prediabetes at a fasting glucose level of 100 mg/dl and diabetes at 126 mg/dl. People with prediabetes would score 140–200 on an oral glucose tolerance test. Those with diabetes would score 200 and higher.

The blood sugar level rises steeply, when the body fails to generate adequate insulin to break down the carbohydrates, which is described as diabetes.

High blood sugar is seen as a precursor of diabetes, unless remedied.