A report from the National Hospital of Endocrinology on April 2 has shown that the country is seeing a sharp increase in the number of people with diabetes in recent years.
Weight gain can lead to a higher risk of diabetes
The survey featured more than 11,000 people aged from 30 to 69 across the country. Dr. Nguyen Vinh Quang, vice director of the hospital said the rate of people with diabetes increased from 2.7% in 2002 to 6%, with the southwest region held the highest prevalence at over 7%.
The rate of impaired glucose tolerance also increased strongly from 7.7% in 2002 to nearly 13% in 2012.
However, the rate of undetected diabetes is as high as 64%. This is because people lack knowledge about the disease. 76% of asked people had little knowledge about the symptoms and complications of diabetes.
People with high blood pressure were at three times greater risk than others, and 2.6 times higher for overweight people.
The WHO warned that diabetes can cause eye complications, kidney damage, foot ulcers that could lead to amputation and heart diseases. In fact, diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness and heart diseases and strokes are the cause of about 75% of deaths among people with diabetes.
Moreover, the average life expectancy of diabetic patients is 5-10 years lower than others.
"The rise in diabetic patients is because of changes in living conditions and life style. People consume more carbohydrates, meals that have more fat and protein while they eat less vegetables and take less exercise," Quang said.
Therefore, the national diabetes prevention strategy during the 2013-2020 period will encourage people to talk to consultants and change their life styles and raise awareness over the symptoms.
