Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Deputy State Health Director (Public Health) Dr Wan Mansor Hamzah said diabetes cases in Kuala Lumpur rose to 17.4 per cent last year compared with 11.3 per cent in 2011.

He said Putrajaya recorded a more alarming statistic when the number of diabetes cases increased to 19.2 per cent last year compared with 8.8 per cent in 2011.

Dr Wan Mansor said an unhealthy lifestyle like eating late at night, which had also become a trend among city folks, was among factors contributing to the alarming rise.

“The vast number of 24-hour food outlets in Kuala Lumpur has attracted city folks to eat late at night, which can bring about a negative effect to health,” he said during an operation code named ‘Op Puntung 2016’ here yesterday.

According to Dr Wan Mansor, nearly 60 per cent of the people with diabetes were not aware that they had the disease, exposing them to a serious risk of complications.

– BERNAMA