Mumbai: Rise in diabetes, hypertension among citizens over 30

Mumbai: Nearly 27% of citizens above 30 years are suspected to have diabetes mellitus and Hypertension, as per the data provided by BMC's wellness clinic at Dharavi. As per the data, 2,000 people have been screened at the clinic in the last three months, of which 271 were suspected to have diabetes while there were 274 suspected cases of hypertension.

Sion Hospital dean Dr Mohan Joshi said the clinic provides a one-stop treatment solution as specialist doctors of every kind are available. “This clinic was started to reduce the burden on Sion Hospital as the clinic has all facilities including MRI, CT scans. 15-20 patients are screened here daily and it helps with early diagnosis of patients suffering from diabetes, hypertension or any other diseases. We also have a multidisciplinary team handling the clinic,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BMC is already conducting door-to-door screening of people above 30 years for signs of hypertension and diabetes. According to doctors, patients who suffer from an existing hypertension condition need regular medications, apart from regular blood pressure (BP) checks.

“Hypertension is a major contributing risk factor for heart disease. The prevalence of hypertension in young individuals is on the rise. One of the main reasons is that they are less likely to seek medical attention as they feel that they are fit and fine. It can thus remain undetected for a long time,” said a senior doctor who is part of the campaign.

According to the doctor, a person is known to be hypertensive when his / her BP remains more than 140 mm Hg systolic and 90 mm Hg diastolic, respectively. “If you have never been diagnosed with hypertension and you have no other serious medical problems, the American Heart Association recommends that you have your BP checked at least once every two years,” the doctor added.