Quality of Life among People with Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been characterized as a chronic condition that could be life-threatening because of the dangerous and inevitable complications that arise due to it. The health of general population cannot be well characterized from the analyses of mortality and morbidity statistics alone, particularly from patients of chronic diseases including diabetes mellitus. It is equally important to contemplate health in terms of people’s assessment of quality of life including their sense of well-being and ability to perform social roles. During the past four decades, the prevalence of diabetes has increased in both developed and developing countries because of an increase in obesity as results of rapid urbanization and diet changes. India is currently second in the world in diabetes prevalence. This paper focuses on the effect of type 2 diabetes mellitus on quality of life of people with diabetes and suggests that comprehensive management plans for diabetes are needed to minimize the outcomes of diabetes and improve quality of life of people with type 2 diabetes. It is recommended that health policy makers should give due attention for the overall quality of life of people with diabetes. Health care providers should also give emphasis to overall health of people with type 2 diabetes and their quality of life. It is suggested that well scheduled, regular and continuous diabetes health education need to be provided along with the usual treatment and care for the patients.