A growing number of young Pakistanis, aged between 20 and 30, are developing undiagnosed diabetes, often discovering their condition only after being hospitalised with severe heart blockages and uncontrolled blood pressure, The News reported on Sunday.
At a press briefing during the annual Pakistan Endocrine Society conference, experts revealed that emergency rooms are increasingly treating young adults with multiple blocked coronary arteries, later diagnosed with long-standing type 2 diabetes and hypertension. By the time symptoms appear, irreversible damage to organs has often occurred.
The Discovering Diabetes team launched its 2024–25 impact report, showing outreach to over 8.5 million people, screening nearly one million for diabetes risk and linking 463,000 suspected cases to medical advice. Free testing and consultations were offered to more than 348,000 individuals nationwide.
Dr Abrar Ahmed, former president of the Pakistan Endocrine Society, warned that every fourth Pakistani now has diabetes. He stressed that lifestyle changes — not reliance on weight-loss injections — are essential for prevention and control.
Project Director Syed Jamshed Ahmed said over 33 million Pakistanis are confirmed diabetics, with a similar number undiagnosed, urging the government to introduce nationwide mobile alerts for diabetes awareness.
Experts linked the surge to sedentary lifestyles, financial strain and unhealthy diets. Dr Khurshid A. Khan noted that rising stress and economic hardship are forcing people into double shifts and poor eating habits, fuelling lifestyle diseases.
PharmEvo MD Haroon Qasim called diabetes a “silent killer,” citing 230,000 annual deaths and advocating high taxes on sugary drinks. Trifit CEO Ahmer Azam urged Pakistanis to prioritise physical activity, stressing that exercise is not optional.
Doctors warned that unless public awareness and preventive policies improve, Pakistan risks becoming one of the world’s worst-affected countries by diabetes.
