More than three-quarters of people living with diabetes (79%) in Pakis-tan only found out they had diabetes after developing diabetes compli-cations. Additionally, almost all (97%) of those surveyed in the country had experienced one or more diabetes complications, with over a quar-ter (26%) having experienced heart disease as one of the diabetes complications. The findings come from global research recently carried out by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) ahead of World Di-abetes Day on Monday, 14 November.
The survey was conducted among people living with diabetes across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America to understand the level of awareness and impact of di-abetes-related complications. Commenting on the research findings, Professor Abdul Basit, Director of Baqai Institute of Diabetology& En-docrinology (BIDE), said: “Complications are affecting the lives of too many people living with diabetes in Pakistan. More needs to be done to improve diabetes awareness and provide education to support the early detection and management of complications. What we have learned offers a stark reminder that diabetes often goes undetected until one or more complications have occurred. “We know that, with the right information and care, people living with diabetes can greatly reduce their risk of complications. Furthermore, there are several steps that people at risk of developing type.
