Diabetes and Hypertension in Delhi : A Socio-Epidemiological study of Diabetes and Hypertension among adults in urban slums of Delhi, India

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disorder characterized by raised blood sugar levels that occur when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produce. According to the international diabetes federation, currently 39.5 million people in India have pre-diabetes, and of them 7 million will develop diabetes every year. Hypertension is defined as systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg or currently taking medication to lower high blood pressure. Incidence rates of hypertension range between 3% and 18% depending on the age, gender, ethnicity, and body size of the population. It is concluded from the present study that overall prevalence of diabetes and hypertension was found to be 12.6% and 23.7% respectively. It was observed that the prevalence of both diabetes and hypertension was higher in higher age group, obese and sedentary/light workers. Current study observed a low level of awareness regarding diabetes and hypertension and its risk factors among the study subjects.