WORLD DIABETES DAY 2025: Wake-Up Call for Every Home

By [Dr Mohammad Hayat Bhat] and [DR. ZUBAIR SALEEM]

Inspired by insights from the International Conference on Diabetes and the Elderly, held at GMC Srinagar in August 2025, organised by Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies on Ageing, Moul Mouj Foundation and Dept of Endocrinology, GMC Srinagar, we received an overwhelming response from our readers and well-wishers. Many expressed a heartfelt concern, that the rich knowledge shared at the conference should not remain confined to the doctors and professionals who attended it.

They wanted those messages to reach every home, every senior living with diabetes, and every caregiver trying to help them.

So, on this World Diabetes Day 2025, we bring those voices, ideas and lessons to the people, simplified and made practical for daily life. This special issue draws directly from what our distinguished speakers shared, and from what our readers told us they need to understand most.

Sugar That Doesn’t Always Taste Sweet

Every November, the world talks about diabetes, but few listen with their hearts. We see blue ribbons, hashtags and statistics. Yet behind those numbers are stories that never trend, stories of tired fathers who can’t button their shirts because of frozen shoulders, mothers who hide their insulin pens and grandparents who believe fatigue is “just age.”

At the Moul Mouj Health Centre, we’ve met thousands of seniors who live this quiet struggle. For them, diabetes isn’t a lifestyle disease, it’s a daily negotiation with the body, mind and society. And this year, World Diabetes Day 2025 carries a message more urgent than ever:

“Care for the elderly is not charity — it’s continuity.”

Face of diabetes is changing and it looks older

Once called “a disease of elite,” diabetes has now become a companion of ageing. In India, more than one in ten adults has diabetes, and a growing share are above 60.
The Srinagar Conference on Diabetes and Its Complications in the Elderly (August 2025) revealed a striking truth: in the next 25 years, India will be home to the world’s largest population of diabetic seniors.

But numbers don’t bleed. People do. The real crisis isn’t just rising sugar — it’s rising neglect.

Why the Elderly Are Different

Growing old doesn’t cause diabetes, but it changes how diabetes behaves. With every passing decade, the body’s “engine” slows down:

• Muscles, our natural sugar burners, start shrinking.
• The pancreas produces less insulin.
• Immunity weakens; wounds take longer to heal.

This means a senior’s “safe sugar level” isn’t the same as a 30-year-old’s. What looks “mild” on paper can cause devastating fatigue, dizziness or confusion in real life.

Doctor’s wisdom: “The elderly don’t need stricter control, they need smarter care.”

So before rushing to blame “diet” or “willpower,” remember: ageing itself rewires the body’s chemistry. Compassion is as important as control.

Diabetes Hides Behind Age

Meet a 72-year-old patient from one of our health camps in Aharbal. For months, he had been feeling unusually tired and irritable. He often forgot his meals, stumbled while walking, and lost weight steadily. His family dismissed it as “just old age.” When we checked his blood sugar, it read 457 mg/dl.

This is how diabetes whispers before it screams. Unlike younger patients, seniors rarely show “classic” symptoms like thirst or hunger. Instead, diabetes hides behind frailty, memory lapses or sleepiness. By the time it’s diagnosed, complications may have already begun, in the eyes, kidneys, heart or feet.

Warning for families: If your elder looks unusually tired, forgetful, or weak, don’t dismiss it. Test, don’t assume.

Hidden Chain Reaction Inside the Body

Diabetes isn’t one disease — it’s a domino effect. In seniors, when one system weakens, others quickly follow:

• High sugar harms blood vessels → leading to heart problems and poor circulation.
• Nerve damage → causes burning feet, poor balance, tingling sensations, body aches, and even silent heart attacks.
• Muscle loss (sarcopenia) → results in falls, fractures, and loss of independence.
• Mood changes → bring anxiety, loneliness, and poor sugar control.
• Eye damage (diabetic retinopathy) → leads to blurred vision and higher fall risk.
• Kidney damage (diabetic kidney disease) → causes swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, and buildup of toxins in the body.
• Liver changes (fatty liver in diabetes) → lead to tiredness, poor digestion, and higher heart risk.

Each system is connected, when diabetes affects one, it silently strains the others. Managing sugar means protecting every organ, every day.

Everyday Wisdom That Saves Lives

Here’s the truth: most elderly diabetics don’t need more medicines, they need better routines. Below are real-world, proven steps — simple enough for any household.

Drink wisely: Warm water through the day keeps blood flow smooth and kidneys safe.
Avoid sugary drinks, packed juices and tea or kahwa with sugar.

Eat what you love, but smarter: You don’t have to give up Kashmiri wazwan or your favorite rice. Just eat smaller portions, eat on time, and add a handful of greens to every plate. Choose brown rice over white, nuts instead of pakodas or monj goul. Eat plant-based proteins (moong dal, channa dal, chola dal), eggs, chicken, lean meat and fish. Cut down on sugar, refined flour, salt, and oily foods, tiny swaps that bring big results. Moderation is the key.

Never skip breakfast: Skipping meals makes sugar swing like a pendulum. Small, regular meals are medicine.

Move gently, but daily: A 20-minute walk, some chair exercises, or light stretching — these are better than any pill for sugar control. If you can lift your teacup, you can lift your health.

Check your feet, not just your sugar: A small blister can become a big problem. Inspect your feet daily. Use a mirror if needed. Never ignore numbness or burning. That’s the body’s SOS call.

Store medicines safely: If the power goes out, don’t worry, insulin usually remains stable for a day in the refrigerator, especially during winter. Keep a simple medicine chart to avoid missed or double doses. Always get your medicines physically rechecked by the doctor at every visit, as combination drugs or dosages may change when refilled at pharmacies.

Smoking, hookah and alcohol: silently raise sugar and damage the heart, eyes and kidneys. Hookah is no safer than cigarettes, and alcohol can cause sugar crashes. There’s no safe limit for these bad habits, say no to smoke, sip and stress.

Sleep and meditate like it’s therapy: Poor sleep raises sugar. Keep a regular bedtime, avoid late tea, and end your day calmly. Add faith-based practices—prayer, gratitude, or quiet reflection—to relax the mind and steady your sugar. Peaceful nights make for healthier mornings.

Mind–Sugar Connection: Science now says what elders always knew: stress sweetens blood. When the mind is restless, sugar climbs. When the heart is calm, sugar behaves. Loneliness, fear, or family neglect can send sugar levels soaring. Seniors often whisper, “I don’t trouble anyone,” but silence itself becomes stress.

So on this World Diabetes Day, make this your home’s new habit:

• Talk at dinner instead of scrolling through phones.
• Listen when an elder repeats the same story, it’s not forgetfulness, it’s a call for connection.
• Replace sugar in tea with sweetness in speech.
• Remind them gently about medicines instead of scolding.
• Walk with them after meals, companionship improves circulation better than any pill.
• Encourage regular check-ups and celebrate small health victories.
• Keep their feet, and their spirits, warm.
• Never let them feel like a burden, love is their strongest medicine.

Because the best insulin sometimes comes from love.

Hidden Danger Below the Waist — Nerves, Kidneys & Feet

Diabetic nerve damage starts quietly. Burning feet at night. Dizziness when standing. Digestion that goes haywire. Ignore these, and they progress to ulcers, falls or even amputations.

Diabetic kidney disease is worse, no pain, no warning. The only clue? Foamy urine, swelling, bone weakness, fatigue, itching and dependence. A simple urine test once a year can save kidneys for a lifetime.

Golden Rule: If you check your sugar daily, check your feet daily too. Seniors who follow this rule often avoid 90% of foot-related hospitalizations.

Frozen Shoulder Story

One of the lesser-known companions of diabetes is frozen shoulder. It starts as mild stiffness and ends in immobility. The cure isn’t a miracle pill, it’s movement. Warm up the shoulder with a towel, then stretch gently every day. As one senior patient put it, “The more I moved, the more I could move.”

The lesson applies beyond joints. When diabetes makes you feel frozen — in body, mind, or motivation — move anyway. Small steps melt the stiffness of both sugar and spirit.

Social Side of Sugar — Breaking the Stigma

In many homes, elders hide their insulin pens when guests visit. Some stop attending family functions, ashamed of their “disease.” But diabetes is not a moral failure. It’s biology, not weakness.

It’s time we change the conversation: Don’t say, “He’s diabetic.” Say, “He’s living with diabetes and still living fully.” Care starts with language. A gentle word can restore dignity faster than a prescription.

Caregiver’s Code

Behind every stable elder is a patient caregiver. But caregiving is more than reminding medicines, it’s about respectful partnership.

Here’s what every son, daughter, or grandchild should remember:

Remind, don’t rebuke. Missed doses are forgetfulness, not defiance.

Observe, don’t overlook. Wounds, swelling, or sudden sleepiness need attention.

Encourage, don’t control. Walk together, cook together, learn together.

Respect independence. Let elders make choices; it preserves their will to live.

Doctor’s note: “Patience is the most powerful medicine a caregiver can offer.”

Stick to Routine — Small Habits, Big Healing

Elderly diabetes management is not about perfection, it’s about rhythm.

• Eat at the same time every day.
• Walk after meals.
• Keep medicine boxes labeled.
• Check sugar once or twice a week.
• Sleep and wake up on schedule.

These tiny acts build stability. And stability, not strictness, is the secret to senior wellness.

One 74-year-old patient joked: “Earlier, I chased my sugar. Now my sugar follows my schedule.”

What Doctors Wish Every Family Knew

Doctors across Kashmir share the same frustration, patients come too late. They don’t need sympathy; they need early attention.

The rule of three saves lives:

• Check sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol — not just one.
• Don’t self-adjust medicines.
• Don’t wait for pain to see a doctor.

Modern medicines are safer than ever. Insulin is not a “last resort”; it’s a lifesaver. And yes, seniors can enjoy fruit, rice and sweets of Nikah of their grandchildren, in moderation. It’s not about punishment; it’s about proportion.

Real Voices, Real Lessons from Our Readers (Names have been changed to protect privacy.)

“My slippers are my best medicine.” Mrs. Fatima, 68, who checks her feet daily.

“Loneliness raised my sugar more than sweets.” Mr. Habib, 70.

“I thought insulin meant failure. Now it means freedom.” Mr. Rahim, 75.

“My grandson and I compete on sugar readings, he usually wins!” Mrs. Naseema, 71.

“My son bought me a glucometer, but his five-minute talk works better than the machine.” Mr. Yousuf, 73.

“I learned that skipping meals is more dangerous than sugar itself.” Mrs. Haleema, 67.

“When I walk with my friends in the morning, my sugar stays happy all day.” Mr. Bhushan Lal, 74.

“I used to hide my insulin pen. Now I show it proudly, it keeps me alive.” Mrs. Zaitoon, 70.

“I thought weakness was age catching up, but it was my sugar warning me.” Mr. Hameed, 69.

“My daughter reminds me to drink water every two hours, she’s my living alarm clock.” — Mrs. Rafiqa, 65.

“I stopped fearing food. Now I eat half and share the other half, my sugar stays kind.” Mr. Farooq, 72.

“My faith taught me patience, and patience taught me how to manage diabetes.” Mrs. Mandip, 74.

These voices remind us that diabetes care is not just medical, it’s moral. It’s about dignity, not dependence. It’s about learning from lived experiences, valuing small victories, and realizing that behind every sugar reading is a story of endurance, wisdom, and quiet strength. Because sometimes, the best teacher in diabetes care is not a doctor, it’s a patient who never gave up.

Pollution and Diabetes

Studies show that long-term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and makes sugar control harder for those already diabetic. Polluted air causes inflammation and insulin resistance, especially in seniors. Clean air, masks and greenery help protect both lungs and blood sugar.

New Language of Prevention

If you remember nothing else from this World Diabetes Day, remember these five mantras:

• Check early, check yearly.
• Eat less, move more.
• Sleep deep, stress less.
• Feet first, heart next.
• Love louder — it heals faster than medicine.

Beyond Medicine

No elder should skip medicines because of cost, no widow should walk miles for insulin, no parent should feel forgotten at home. Diabetes management is not only a healthcare issue, it’s a human rights issue.

Every community can help:

• Encourage local pharmacies to offer senior discounts.
• Conduct annual “Diabetes Screening Days” at religious places or community/marriage halls.
• Train volunteers to assist elders with glucometer use.

When society shares responsibility, disease loses its grip.

Pledge for Every Home

This World Diabetes Day, make your family’s pledge: “We will not let sugar steal the sweetness of our elders’ lives.” Tape it to your fridge. Talk about it at dinner. Act on it in daily routines. Because diabetes may be lifelong, but life with diabetes can still be full of light.

Science Meets Soul

In the end, diabetes care is not just about insulin, diet or exercise. It’s about reclaiming joy in food, family and faith. If you hold an elder’s hand and listen to their story, you’ve already lowered their sugar more than any pill could. Because the ultimate cure lies not in the syringe, but in the smile.

So this World Diabetes Day, don’t just post a message, practice one. Visit your parents. Check their sugar. Warm their tea. Warm their hearts.

“Diabetes care is not about numbers — it’s about life.” Let that be Kashmir’s message to the world this year.

Acknowledgement:

At the outset, we express our sincere gratitude to the Hon’ble Health Minister, Ms. Sakeena Itoo, Prof. Iffat Hassan Shah, Principal and Dean, GMC Srinagar, and Mr. M. Ashraf Hakak (KAS), Administrator, GMC Srinagar, for their invaluable support and patronage of MMFDIACON 2025.

We thank our distinguished speakers at MMFDIACON2025 — Padma Shri Dr. John Ebenezer (Bengaluru), Dr. M. A. Mazaid (Egypt), Dr. Sergio Rowinski (Brazil), and eminent specialists of the valley, Dr. Tajamul H. Mir, Prof. S. M. Salim, Dr. Bashir A. Laway, Prof. Bashir A. Sanaie, Prof. Arshad Hussain, Dr. Asif Nazir, Dr. Khurshid Ahmad Bhat, and Dr. Wasim Rashid and all chairpersons of scientific sessions — for their invaluable insights shared at MMFDIACON2025.

We also thank other organising committee members of MMFDIACON 2025 — Dr. Mir Shahnawaz, Dr. Saleem Baba, and Dr. Abid Hussain — for their dedicated efforts in making the event a resounding success.

Comparison of younger adults and seniors body functions

 Blood Sugar Levels — Diagnostic Reference Table

Target Blood Sugar Levels for Diabetic Seniors

For seniors, the goal is safety and stability, not perfection.