Patna: On the second day of the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI) Bihar Conference on Sunday, diabetologists from across the country presented research and clinical updates that underscored how environmental factors are complicating diabetes management.
Speaking at the meeting, Dr K P Sinha said air pollution affects far more than the lungs. Fine particulate matter such as PM2.5 and PM10, he explained, enters the body through respiration and triggers internal inflammation, reducing insulin effectiveness and pushing up blood sugar levels. Polluted air also increases cortisol, the stress hormone, further destabilising glucose control.
Sinha added that when air quality deteriorates, people often cut back on walking and exercise, making weight management and blood sugar control harder. Over time, this accelerates diabetes-related damage to the heart and kidneys. Prolonged exposure to polluted air, he warned, also raises the risk of developing diabetes, particularly among children and the elderly.
Several clinicians expanded on these themes. Dr Atul Kumar, Dr Surendra Kumar, Dr Subhash Kumar, Dr Shaibal Guha, Dr Anand Shankar and Dr Manoj Kumar shared clinical observations on the growing complexity of diabetes care in polluted urban settings.
Newer treatments were also in focus. Dr R K Modi discussed SGLT-2 inhibitors, a class of drugs that lower blood sugar by excreting excess glucose through urine. Beyond glycaemic control, he said, these medicines reduce the risk of heart failure and kidney damage, two major complications of diabetes.
Exercise emerged as a central theme in type 1 diabetes management. Dr A K Virmani stressed that physical activity is as vital as medication, recommending a mix of aerobic exercise, resistance training and flexibility workouts to improve insulin function and overall fitness.
Other speakers examined the future of personalised care. Dr D P Singh highlighted the need for “precision prevention”, while Dr Vasanth Kumar argued that precision diabetes medicine can be implemented even in resource-constrained settings. On long-term monitoring, Dr Ajay Tiwari questioned the reliance on HbA1c as a single target, while Dr Amit Kumar Das countered that it remains a cornerstone of clinical practice.
