Thiruvananthapuram: Lifestyle diseases make dengue-hit vulnerable

Thiruvananthapuram: Increase in lifestyle diseases including high cholesterol, sugar levels and blood pressure has lowered the resistance of people across the state resulting in increasing morbidity and mortality due to fever, especially dengue.

Lifestyle diseases which are inversely proportionate to resistance to infections have compounded the problem. According to experts 180-200 out of every 1,000 people in the state are morbid due to one or the other chronic illness including cardiac problems, diabetes and cancer.

In urban areas the prevalence of lifestyle diseases is significantly high and so is the incidence of dengue. Majority of the dengue cases reported in the state especially Thiruvananthapuram district are from urban areas. Those with lifestyle diseases are more prone to dengue attack. The state has close to 20 per cent diabetic population which is also highly susceptible to vector borne diseases.

Apart from dengue, incidence of chikungunya, malaria and scrub typhus have increased manifold. Experts attribute the recurring and growing cases of vector borne diseases to the failure of authorities to lay more focus on surveillance and preventive measures.

On the line of treatment, experts say doctors and patients make the common mistake of taking Ibuprofen or medicines which are not required. Treatment of dengue is plenty of fluid and symptomatic management.

According to them contrary to the normal belief, people who suffered dengue attack in the past, had high chances of getting it again. Recurrent attacks need not be mild, but can result in bleeding and even prove fatal in some cases. Many say mosquitoes are getting attracted to particular individuals for certain bodily feature and uric acid levels could be one of the factors.