World Diabetes Day carries a deeper meaning for Kashmir. It points to a growing health crisis that has slowly spread through homes and hospitals across the valley.

Studies show that around 19 percent of adults in Jammu and Kashmir live with diabetes, almost double the national average. In cities, the figure rises to 26 percent, placing the region among the highest in North India.

Hospitals report a steady rise in new cases, and younger people are increasingly affected. Doctors at SKIMS and GMC Srinagar say that nearly one in five patients visiting their outpatient departments now suffers from diabetes or prediabetes. Many discover it late, when complications like kidney failure or heart disease have already begun.

Researchers point to the same causes: poor diet, lack of physical activit

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