Latest news with #BlueCircleDiabetesFoundation
India.com
4 days ago
- Health
- India.com
When Diabetes Waits, It Strikes Hard: This Sports Person's Story Explain Why You Can't Ignore High Blood Sugar
Pune: Ravinder Sus had a busy desk at the State Bank of India branch in Jammu. He was in his early forties and a cricketer and table tennis player. He felt fit. He had no family history of diabetes, but he had signs such as dizzy spells, blurred vision and too many trips to the washroom. A diagnostic examination revealed high blood sugar. He cut sugar from tea and drank bitter gourd juice. He added fenugreek to his food and kept telling himself that he had it under control. The years rolled by. Work got heavier. Hours got longer. His weight climbed to 85 kilograms. Exercise faded. He smoked one cigarette after another. He skipped follow-up tests. He ignored doctor visits. The blood sugar story stayed in the background. Almost two decades later, it caught up. It was 2018. He was 62. At a wedding in Pune, he felt a rush of sweat. His heartbeat raced. He collapsed. Tests showed both kidneys had failed. His creatinine count had shot far beyond safe levels; and as a result, he began undergoing dialysis. Days blurred in hospital corridors. Energy drained and appetite gone. His wife, Anjali, stepped forward as a kidney donor. Their blood groups did not match. Surgeons went ahead with a complex mismatch transplant. Her rib had to be cut to take out the kidney. Recovery was slow. He had 40 stitches. Weeks of isolation followed. Four insulin injections a day kept his sugar under control. Doctors told him that many transplant patients develop diabetes after surgery. He was now in that group. Experts say diabetes is India's silent destroyer. The Lancet Global Health study in 2019 found that two in five people with the disease did not know they had it. In India, one in five people aged 45 or older live with diabetes. The risks include heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, vision loss and nerve damage. Smoking worsens the danger, raising the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by up to 40 percent. Sus took his second chance seriously. He joined awareness events with Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation. He entered the National Transplant Games and won a silver medal in table tennis. He spoke to groups about what happens when diabetes is ignored. His messages were: undergo tests regularly, watch your diet, move every day and take your medicines as the price of neglect is far greater than the discipline needed to prevent it.
Indian Express
23-04-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Novo Nordisk to phase out human insulin pens globally: Will it disrupt your dosage?
Thirty-seven-year-old Nupur Lalvani, who has been living with Type 1 diabetes since the age of eight, was dependent on insulin pens and had of late been a regular user of Novo Nordisk's largest insulin brand, Human Mixtard. But now that the Danish major is phasing it out, the move is expected to disrupt Indian markets, where it is the largest seller, and affect patients like Lalvani. As founder of Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation – among the largest patient-led communities for all types of diabetes – she has flagged concerns about changes in the insulin portfolio. 'Doctors say alternative brands are available. Switching brands and delivery devices is not a seamless process, especially for those managing diabetes every day on tight budgets,' she says. As per an ICMR-INDIAB study, around 11 million individuals with diabetes are on insulin. What is the pen all about? It is a pre-filled insulin pen containing insulin aspart, a fast-acting insulin analog. It helps glucose get into cells for energy, lowering blood sugar levels. It should be taken at the start of a meal or within 20 minutes after starting a meal, regularly and alongside a healthy diet, regular exercise and weight management. It's available in 3 ml cartridges and should be stored in a refrigerator (2-8°C) and not frozen. Does Novo Nordisk have a back-up in place? Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk released an official statement saying though it was phasing out the 100 IU Penfills, which are fast-acting insulin solutions to high blood sugar levels, and FlexPens, cartridges containing 100 units of insulin per millilitre designed for use with insulin pens, its 40 IU vials of Mixtard will continue to be available in India. Vials need separate insulin syringes. 'Other forms of insulin, including human insulins from Novo Nordisk, will continue to be available in vials and devices for patients across India. In order to meet increasing patient demand and ensure a stable supply of our medicines, we have decided to consolidate our insulin portfolio as this will create space needed in our global manufacturing network. Hence, in this process, we are phasing out the Penfill,' read the statement. Why is the company withdrawing its human insulin pen? Clearly the company is reworking priorities as it expands production of obesity and diabetes injectables. However, Lalvani says that since many people have relied on both Penfills and FlexPens, this discontinuation will disrupt patient experience. 'I have personally used 100 IU Actrapid for years, and now I'll have to search for alternatives,' she says. What about alternatives? Dr R M Anjana, president, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, says alternative brands are available. 'Many companies in the market are selling the same type of insulin. Also, the withdrawal applies only to insulin pens, whereas vials will still be available. While these are more inconvenient, they are less expensive. So we will have to wait and see how this pans out,' she adds.
