With the growing importance of timely health check-ups not only around the world but also in India, Mumbai doctors say it is important to take care of yourselves.

"India is the diabetic capital of the world, is only going to get worse from here," revealed Dr Hitendra Mehta, Mumbai-based ophthalmologist during a virtual press conference by Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital on September 26, stressing on the urgent need to address the silent yet devastating complications of retinal diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy.
 
With at least 1 in 5 adults estimated to have diabetes in India, and the ever-changing lifestyle and dietary shift of the younger age groups especially, Ophthalmologists are raising concern over the increasing incidence of diabetic retinopathy among young adults, with cases now being detected within just three to five years of a diabetes diagnosis.

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in the retina. It was once considered a condition only affecting older generations, it is increasingly reported in individuals under 40, and as per experts is going  to have ‘a huge economic burden, not just on ourselves, but also the country.’