NEW DELHI - With an Oscar statuette under her belt, Hollywood is at Halle Berry’s feet. However, life has never been a bed of roses for this brilliant actress, as she has had to battle one of the world’s most common illnesses - diabetes.

Now, a well known diabetologist, Dr. Vikas Alhuwalia, believes that he has a special program that may help Berry to bring her diabetic condition under control.

“I would be more than happy to help superstars like Berry who I am told have suffered from diabetes,” said Dr. Alhuwalia.

It was in 1989, during the taping of the short-lived television series ‘Living Dolls’, that Berry lapsed into a coma and was diagnosed with diabetes, a condition that now affects an estimated 24.1 million people in the United States and over 30 million in India.

As the prevalence of and progression to diabetes continues to increase, diabetes-related morbidity and mortality have emerged as major public health care issues.

People with diabetes are vulnerable to multiple and complex medical complications. These complications involve both cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroke) and peripheral vascular disease) and microvascular disease.

Dr. Alhuwalia wants to tackle the illness head-on, and says that in India he has launched diabetes awareness camps.

He told ANI that these awareness camps are being held in cooperation with senior citizen associations on a monthly basis.

Dr. Alhuwalia said that the objective behind the drive is to come forward and interact with experts like himself to understand the dangers posed by diabetes to all age groups.

“Nowadays, people are picking up diabetes at an early stage. We need to identify who has the disease, especially in the case of youngsters. Earlier, we use to deal with diabetics who were in their 40s and 50s, now we get cases of people who are in their late 20s or early 30s. We need to treat it and prevent complications that arise with the disease at an early stage,” said Dr. Alhuwalia.

When asked what were the factors responsible for the onset of diabetes, Dr. Alhuwalia said lifestyle changes, obesity, physical inactivity and the wanton consumption of junk food were key factors contributing to diabetes.

He said that his Diabetes Care Foundation Of India is a registered charitable society, which aims to promote health awareness among the common masses in the field of diabetes.

At the awareness camps, patients would be offered free blood sugar check up, free consultation with diabetes specialist, free consultation with neurologist for diabetic neuropathy, including the use of bio-thesometer, free consultation with an eye specialist for diabetic retinopathy, medicines for diabetes and blood pressure at concessional rates, insulin vials and insulin pens at concessional rates, he revealed. (ANI)