Latest news with #JPEF2025
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
India needs modern tech to manage diabetes better, say experts at international meet
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The three-day international diabetes conference, Jothydev's Professional Education Forum Diabetes Update 2025 (JPEF 2025), came to a close in Kovalam on Sunday with a strong message: more people with diabetes in India need access to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to manage the disease better. Senior diabetologist Dr Rajeev Chawla said many people in the low and middle-income countries still don't have access to the latest diabetes treatments. He pointed out that only about six million people with Type 2 diabetes in India use insulin, even though many more need it. Fear of needles, low blood sugar, and the hassle of daily injections often stop patients from using it. Dr Jothydev Kesavadev said blood sugar levels among Indian patients are far too high. 'More than 80% of people have levels above normal. A recent national study found the average HbA1c (a long-term measure of blood sugar) to be around 9%, while it should ideally be below 7%,' he said. Technology was a major focus of the event. Prof Julia Mader from the Medical University of Graz in Austria said new features like real-time ketone monitoring, which can show fat burning and risks of complications, could be the next big thing. She also said that AI and 'digital twins' will soon help doctors better understand and treat each patient. A total of over 100 sessions were held during the conference covering many topics.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Continuous glucose monitoring key to healthy pregnancy: expert
Purvi Chawla, a consultant diabetologist associated with the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India, said continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is crucial for diabetes pregnancy. CGM is important for pregnant women as even a relapse of 5% per hour can lead to poor pregnancy outcomes and can have neonatal consequences, Dr. Chawla said while speaking at the annual Jothydev's Professional Education Forum Diabetes Update 2025 (JPEF 2025) on Saturday. K.R. Jyothilal, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance), Government of Kerala, inaugurated the conference and launched two projects for Type 1 diabetes patients -- 'Dreams Practicals 2.0' for children and 'Dreams Guru Project' for teachers of students suffering from the same medical condition. The ways and means to fight obesity and diabetes were discussed at the conference from the point of view of improving quality of life and preventing cardiovascular complications. Mahendra Narwaria, president of the All India Association for Advancing Research in Obesity (AIAARO), on Friday challenged the over reliance on body mass index (BMI) in clinical decision-making. 'The BMI is a screening tool, not a decision tool. 'Don't let it gatekeep care,' Dr. Narwaria said. He argued that the BMI fails to capture health risks specific to South Asians who develop metabolic disease at lower BMI thresholds, and that women and the elderly are often misclassified. He pointed to the Rubino Commission's 2023 recommendation, which called for the BMI to be replaced with more comprehensive diagnostic frameworks. Dr. Narwaria's presentation urged clinicians to adopt multidimensional staging models like the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS), which considers adiposity, function, and disease risk—not simply weight. More than 1,500 delegates, including doctors, nurses, dieticians, and educators from eight countries, are taking part in the conference which will draw to a close on Sunday.
