Novo Nordisk India launches campaign to emphasise link between weight management and diabetes – The Financial Express

Novo Nordisk India on Saturday announced that it has partnered with former Indian cricket team captain Kapil Dev to launch ‘Break the Partnership’. According to the company, the campaign is aimed at educating people with diabetes, their caregivers, and doctors about the grave influence of weight in type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Moreover, the campaign encourages people with diabetes to consult clinicians on newer treatment options that help manage both blood glucose as well as weight in T2D.
American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2022 consensus guidelines stressed on weight management as an important tenet of holistic T2D management. Further, the Endocrine Society of India (ESI) also recommends that, in people who live with diabetes and obesity, treatment should include therapies that help reduce weight in addition to controlling blood sugar.
“Every 7th person with diabetes in the world is an Indian and over 6 lakh individuals die every year due to diabetes in India (second only to China). The situation worsens when people living with diabetes are unable to manage their weight. A person with diabetes when carrying excess body weight is not only at an increased risk of high blood pressure and bad cholesterol but also at a higher risk of several comorbidities including cancer, bone issues, and heart, kidney, and liver illnesses. The multifaceted campaign aims to spread awareness across key stakeholders and encourage exploration of innovative and progressive medical solutions for weight management in diabetes,” the company said in a statement.
In the approaching 6 months, the Novo Nordisk team and its partners will engage healthcare professionals via awareness events and scientific meetings across multiple cities. Additionally, focused patient camps will be organized to diagnose, consult, and spread awareness on the subject, the pharma major claimed.
“At Novo Nordisk, patient centricity lies at the core of everything we do. Diabetes with obesity can jointly coexist and this partnership is often not addressed adequately in clinical practice. The combination can further lead to serious complications for people living with type 2 diabetes.10-16 The diabetes management landscape has evolved over the years to bring about medical therapies that target blood sugar alongside reducing weight. The campaign educates people about the impact of weight in diabetes, encourages them to consult their doctor to explore newer treatment options to manage not just blood sugar but also weight in diabetes and curtail onset and progression of complicated comorbidities. We are hopeful the initiative will help us inspire strong action among PwD in the country,” Vikrant Shrotriya, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, Novo Nordisk India, told reporters during the launch on Saturday.
Indians frequently exhibit the thin-fat phenotype (body type), which is characterised by a near-normal overall body weight but an excessively high body fat percentage, according to studies.
“Excess weight in people with T2D is directly tied to an increased risk of several serious complications and is therefore, critical to manage. One study shows that 67% of the people with type 2 diabetes in India also live with obesity1. For people living with diabetes and overweight, reducing weight can help limit the risk of heart diseases, kidney disease and bone problems,10-15There have been sweeping changes in T2D management principles. Treatment goals for patients of T2D with obesity must today consider newer drug therapies that offer improved glycemic control and robust weight reduction,” Dr. Ambrish Mithal, Chairman & Head – Endocrinology & Diabetes, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket and Max Hospital, Gurgaon said,
Over 74.3 million Indians are living with diabetes and one study shows that 67 percent of the population living with type 2 diabetes also lives with obesity, with a median BMI of 25.6 kg/m2 well above the average upper limit of 24.9 kg/m2.
Research also shows that diabetes with obesity is on the rise in the relatively younger population aged <50 years. People living with diabetes urgently need to be able to obtain therapy alternatives that help control blood sugar alongside reducing weight.
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