InKerala, the diabetes capital of India, less than a fourth of those at high risk of developing diabetes knew about its effects on vital organs.
While less than 20% of those studied knew that diabetes can affect the heart, only 10% knew that it can infect the feet and 3% knew that it can affect the nerves, according to a recent study.
The study was conducted to understand the awareness among individuals with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes inThiruvananthapuramdistrict.
The study results are important for Kerala and the rest of India as the state is in the most advanced stage of epidemiological transition and is supposedly the harbinger for other Indian states in relation to the burden of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.