Where we are losing in Diabetes and Hypertension wars

31 Aug, 2026

It is of utmost importance to monitor your Diabetes and Hypertension: Now or Never.

Diabetes mellitus is a cardio-metabolic disease that progresses very slowly. This slow progression and the absence of early complications or symptoms often lead to neglect of early management. Many patients feel healthy, apart from occasional tiredness during routine activities, which humans naturally tend to overlook, often attributing it to a busy lifestyle—especially in the Indian population where work is considered worship. The rapid growth of capitalism and future financial insecurities cause patients to hustle, resulting in lost time during the crucial early years of diabetes management. Doctors and patients need to switch off the metabolic switch and prevent the disease from progressing. Another reason for neglect is the Indian mindset of not taking health seriously in early life, particularly in the third decade. A third factor could be apathy towards maintaining good health. Unfortunately, there are no national screening guidelines—either in public or private hospitals—that offer significant cost advantages for regular screening of such chronic illnesses. Ironically, our lifestyles are contributing to the rise of these chronic metabolic diseases.

Next, I will discuss the complications of diabetes and then hypertension. After understanding the high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, we can focus on their major complications. Diabetes is often called the silent killer. Why is it called silent? Because initially, high blood sugar levels do not cause immediate, life-threatening end-organ damage. However, even during the prediabetes phase, elevated blood sugar levels can damage organs, though this damage may not be readily detectable through usual lab or clinical methods. Most often, these borderline sugar levels cause silent harm to major organs like the kidneys, heart, brain, liver, and minor vessels. Once 3-5 years have passed, this damage is often irreversible, and earlier harm cannot be undone. By the time patients notice problems in these organs, the disease may have already progressed to an unstoppable stage, making it very difficult for doctors to reverse the damage. When patients consult nephrologists or cardiologists at this stage, they often already have irreversible kidney damage, requiring disciplined, joint efforts from both doctors and patients to manage and improve the situation. Importantly, when patients visit these specialists, they often expect the doctors to take full responsibility, and they are mostly unaware of their own status regarding diabetes, hypertension, or related medications.

From this discussion, the key lessons are that lifestyle modifications—such as adopting a healthy diet, exercising regularly, reducing stress, and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle—are crucial preventive measures. Although these steps are easier said than done, the extent of long-term damage caused by these diseases necessitates early and decisive action. Secondly, detecting the disease early and taking it seriously in its initial stages is vital; doing so allows us to alter its trajectory. Thirdly, prevent complications nd reduce morbidity. Thirdly, patients must take responsibility for managing their own health, rather than relying solely on doctors. Simple steps like measuring blood sugar and blood pressure at home, managing weight, and tracking other health parameters are essential. Maintaining a diary of these measurements helps in monitoring progress. When patients visit the OPD, they can present this record to their doctors, facilitating better treatment decisions and helping them share some responsibility for their health management.

So, writing this, I want to raise awareness about the importance of Diabetes and hypertension, which are the darkest enemies of our era of modern lifestyle, and we, as doctors, alone without enough awareness about these diseases in the general public, are not able to fight these battles. We need joint efforts from patients, government policies, doctors, and hospitals to take collective responsibility for improving health status, overcoming them, and leading a healthy life and a healthy nation ahead.