According to Malaysia’s National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) – conducted every four years – the prevalence of diabetes increased from 11.2 per cent in 2011 to 13.4 percent in 2015 and to 18.3 per cent in 2019.
A restaurant worker preparing 'teh tarik' that contains sweetened milk and sugar. Health experts are worried about the rising prevalence diabetes in the country because of unhealthy diets and sedimentary lifestyles. He didn’t care much about his health and continued to indulge in several bad habits, including the consumption of aerated drinks such as Coca-Cola.
These days, Mr Kumaran, who used to work in the insurance industry, prefers drinking warm water. He also measures the level of his blood sugar much more diligently as well as taking his two daily insulin jabs. The increasing number of diabetics in the country is one reason the Health Ministry recently launched a campaign in Putrajaya to reduce sugar intake, one of several similar drives organised over the years, going back to the 1990s.
Several health experts told CNA that they foresee the prevalence of diabetes increasing in the future especially among the young, posing a major public health risk that could put more strain on the healthcare system of the country. Dr Ikram Ismail, president of Diabetes Malaysia, said that of all the diabetes cases in Malaysia, about 95 per cent are type two diabetes, which is genetically determined but also“People were more active before. They worked the fields, and they didn’t use the car so often. They were more active, and their diet was healthier,” he added.
The CEO of the National Kidney Foundation Khor Xin Yun told CNA that diabetes is the biggest contributor to kidney failure in Malaysia. The mother of three children from age nine to 13 was diagnosed with the disease and her blood glucose reading was recorded at 27mmol/L. “Even my nine-year-old will ask me if I have achieved 10,000 steps a day. It helps when you have people supporting you on your journey,” she said.
She said that early detection and compliance to medication was important so that the disease could be managed, and to prevent the onset of kidney disease. Dr Sharifa said that the amount spent on treating diabetes – about 13 per cent of the Health Ministry’s budget - could have been better spent on other things.
“With people getting diabetes at a much younger age – during their late teens and early 20s - it means they must live with the disease for a much longer period of their life, resulting in more complications and a lower quality of life,” he added. “You cannot just do a fasting blood sugar test and be happy about it. You should also measure yourself after eating to get a more accurate result,” she said, adding that the HbA1c and oral glucose tolerance tests are also useful to test for the disease.People who regularly eat red meat may have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes later in life, new study shows
Mr Mohideen also told CNA that there was a need to remove the ceiling price of sugar sold domestically, which at a capped price of RM2.85 is one of the cheapest in the region.The consumption of sweet beverages are believed to also contribute to the rising prevelance of diabetes.
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