Professor Mashoor gives lecture on diabetes milletus

A lecture on "Diabetes Milletus" was given by Dr Professor Mashoor Alam Shah, Head of Department of Medicine at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre here at DHA Main Office on Wednesday as part of health awareness programme.
The professor in his highly informative discourse describe "Diabetes Milletus" as a non-communicable disease which in form of world-wide epidemic was increasing globally at an alarming rate.
He said that 16 million people in the world were affected by this disease, while 10 percent of adult population in Pakistan was having diabetes. He said that the disease once afflicted normally remains throughout the life, but could be managed and controlled by taking appropriate precautions.
Dr Mashoor said that increased sugar level in the blood was the main cause of the disease. Delineating the mechanism of the disease, he said that liver stores sugar as glycogen, while pancreas produces and sets it mechanism of circulation of insulin in the body through an auto regulator system.
The insulin contains energy and nutrition for the human body. In diabetes milletus the insulin containing glucose is blocked to enter into the organism, which causes enhanced level of blood glucose and is discharged through urine.
He described over-nutrition, decreased physical activity, rich food and changing westernised lifestyle as the main causes of this disease.
He said blood sugar level of more than 110 in fasting, while a level of more than 200 after consuming meals are clear symptoms of being diabetic.
He said that the chronic disease of diabetes was caused when pancreas failed to produce enough insulin for body requirements. It was common in women during pregnancy, however, it finishes after pregnancy.
Describing diabetes milletus as mother of all diseases, Professor Mashoor Alam said that it was also instrumental in causing hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, skin appendages, impotence and gangrene, etc.
The professor prescribed modest weight reduction by minimum 5-10 percent, 30 minutes daily physical activity (walk), mass education/awareness of disease at all levels, simple and stress-free lifestyle, use of aspirin and elements of hope and faith in life as the remedy for the disease.
He said that diabetes was the cause of reduced life expectancy, low quality of life and above all wastage of life and money. He called for formulating an effective strategy at the national level to combat diabetes effectively.
The diabetes awareness programme was organised under the aegis of DHA Medical Centre by Dr Sheema Ather and Dr Iqbal. In the end, Colonel Maqbool Ahmed (Retd), Director Administration, DHA, thanked Professor Mashoor Alam for his enlightened talk.-PR