The number of people affected by diabetes in Kosovo has increased this year, compared to the previous year.
This is what the president of the Association of Endocrinologists and Diabetologists, Bardhyl Gashi, says for KosovaPress, on World Diabetes Day. The endocrinologist indicates that the age groups most affected by diabetes are those around 30 to 35 years old, while emphasizing that this disease does not choose gender. He adds that lack of physical activity, inadequate nutrition, including family inheritance of the disease are considered to be among the main causes of diabetes.
“Recently, we have an increasing trend of diabetes, even though the young age dominates in Kosovo. As for the percentage of diabetes, it is less than in other countries, where they are of an older age. However, the trend there is, it goes from the increase in diabetes, usually Type 2… The ages that are more at risk of diabetes are those over 30 years old… The gender does not matter, either male or female, they are also affected… Lack of physical activity, lack of adequate nutrition is of great importance in causing diabetes, but obesity is the main one. In some cases, they even say, if a patient has more than 10 kilograms over the ideal weight, for 10 years, and if the family history is positive, diabetes can appear in a much larger percentage than others… Obesity or overweight is one of the main reasons for having diabetes… of course, lately, stress also is a cause”, says Gashi.
In an interview for KosovaPress, Bardhyl Gashi emphasizes that patients affected by diabetes are enjoying some benefits in Kosovo, while he mentioned receiving subsidies. He adds that when it comes to causing disability from this disease, the demand to go to disability pension is greater.
“If we talk about some countries, those who are diagnosed with diabetes enjoy some other benefits, but as far as I know, here in Kosovo some are enjoying some benefits, they are given some subsidies or something, for those who have diabetes. The problem with them is that we have the chronic complications of diabetes, or what we call the late complications. Of course, it is eye damage, kidney damage, leg damage. When it comes to disability, the demand is bigger for them to go on invalidity pension or to enjoy an invalidity pension or a third-party assistance”, says the endocrinologist.
Regarding the supply of insulin for those affected by diabetes, Gashi says that recently he has not received any complaints from the patients that they had a problem with the supply of insulin.
Otherwise, diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by high blood glucose levels, which over time leads to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. The most common is type 2 diabetes, usually in adults, which occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or does not produce enough insulin.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 422 million people worldwide have diabetes, the majority living in low-and middle-income countries, and 1.5 million deaths are directly attributed to diabetes each year.
Both the number of cases and the prevalence of diabetes have been steadily increasing over the past few decades. Otherwise, November 14th is World Diabetes Day.
