The Endocrinology and Metabolism Society of Nigeria has issued a warning that over 10 million Nigerians currently have diabetes, with the number expected to double by 2030 if urgent action is not taken.
This was stated as Nigerians join the rest of the world in commemorating the World Diabetes Day today, November 14, 2022.
The Society also lamented the fact that there are only 150 endocrinologists available to treat the condition in a population of over 220 million people, noting that diabetes is a significant contributor to kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes, lower limb amputation, blindness, and other conditions.
Endocrinologists and diabetologists examine, identify, and treat endocrine system diseases, hence the worrying shortage of them is concerning.
WDD offers a chance to increase public awareness of diabetes as a global public health concern and what has to be done, both individually and collectively, for better diabetes prevention, diagnosis, and management.
The overall multi-year subject of “Access to Care” is supported by this year’s theme, “Access to Diabetes Education.” Type 2 diabetes, a lifestyle illness associated with obesity and bad behavior, affects 90% of diabetics. The childhood-onset Type 1 variation is an incurable autoimmune illness.
According to Prof. Olufemi Fasanmade, President of EMSN and Consultant Endocrinologist/Physician at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Nigeria is rising.
“In the 1960s to 1970s, diabetes was found in only 0.5-1 per cent of adults in Nigeria. In the 1980s to1990s, the figures rose to 1.4-2.2 per cent of adults. Currently, there is about 5.7 per cent of adults affected with diabetes and 10 to 15 per cent with pre-diabetes.
“In urban towns and cities in Nigeria, one in 10 adults have diabetes and we have just 90 to 100 million adults in Nigeria. Almost 10 million people in Nigeria have diabetes, while 30 per cent of people with hypertension also have diabetes.
“The total number of people in the country with diabetes is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Higher than the number of tuberculosis, Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and COVID-19 put together. Diabetes kills more people in Nigeria than COVID-19, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and cancer put together,” he said.
The most frequent cause of lower limb amputation and chronic renal disease, according to Fasanmade, is diabetes. Only 150 endocrinologists are currently in practice in Nigeria, or roughly 1 in 100,000, he claimed.
Fasanmade made the following remarks regarding the expense of having diabetes: “Diabetes is a very costly condition. In Nigeria, a typical patient with it will spend N20,000 to N30,000 to properly control it. This is the minimum and covers medications, blood tests and clinic attendance. When complications like kidney disease come into the picture, some patients have a monthly expenditure of N100,000 to N150,000.
“In the United States, up to $300 billion is spent on diabetes per annum. The figures for total diabetes expenditures in Nigeria are uncertain. One vial of insulin is N6,000 to N10,000 and patients use one or two per month.
“A box of strips for testing blood sugar is about N6,000 and patients need one or two per month. Some tablets are as cheap as N2,000 per month and others as high as N30,000 monthly. Usually, patients are on two to three of the drugs.”
The endocrinologist cited western lifestyle, smoking, and alcohol consumption as risk factors for the rise in the number of diabetic patients.
According to a recent study, obese people who participate in an eight-week exercise program consisting of one hour of exercise three times a week can regain their brain insulin sensitivity.
Although the relationship between brain insulin sensitivity and diabetes is well known, its precise nature is still being investigated.
While morning exercise did not lower insulin resistance, the researchers discovered that afternoon or evening exercise may be advantageous.
Worldwide obesity rates have tripled since 1975, according to the WHO. Obesity and insulin resistance are linked in both directions. Obesity and being overweight are common causes of insulin resistance, which can result in type 2 diabetes.
