150,000 have Diabetes in T&T; 4 new cases every day

150,000 people in Trinidad & Tobago are suffering from Diabetes. And four people are added to the list every day.

The disease is also listed as the number two killer in Trinidad & Tobago and has been described as an epidemic by experts in the medical world.

The statistics were revealed Monday at the launch of a White Paper titled “The State of Individuals with Diabetes and their Healthcare in the South-West Region of Trinidad and Tobago” at the Hyatt in Port of Spain. 

The study also found shortfalls in the public health care system in the treatment of people with diabetes and that patients have not been adequately responding to the system.

“T&T has been severely affected by the epidemic of diabetes. It is, arguably, among the countries with the greatest burden of this disease,” the White Paper stated. 

Dr Claude Khan, president of the Academy of Diabetes Clinicians of T&T, told the conference the local figures are three times higher that in the United Kingdom and almost double the number of cases in the United States. 

The White Paper was prepared and launched by the Diabetes Outreach Programme of the T&T Health Sciences Initiative (TTHSI), which is an umbrella programme representing a collaboration among the Ministry of Science, Technology & Tertiary Education, the University of T&T (UTT), the Ministry of Health and Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI). 

The White Paper said, “Reasons for the high prevalence of diabetes in T&T include the genetic predispositions of its predominant ethnic groups, as individuals of both East Indian and African descent are known to have high rates of diabetes.” 

It also noted that increased calorie intake and a sedentary lifestyle are contributing to the spread of Diabetes. 

Diabetes is not a "stand alone" health problem. It leads to secondary complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputations and end-stage renal failure. 

“For heart disease, a leading cause of mortality in the country, approximately 65 per cent is attributable to pre-existing diabetes,” the White Paper said.