Diabetes incidence rate has more than doubled: most cases are incurable
Kyiv • UNN
The global diabetes prevalence rate has increased from 7% to 14% over the past 30 years, affecting 828 million adults. More than 450 million patients do not receive proper treatment due to limited access to healthcare services.
According to a global study by the Lancet, the incidence of diabetes in the world has more than doubled over the past 30 years, with more than half of cases remaining untreated. UNN writes about this with reference to The Guardian.
Details
The Lancet study showed that from 1990 to 2022, the prevalence of diabetes among adults increased from 7% to 14%. In total, about 828 million people over the age of 18 suffer from diabetes, which is 630 million more than thirty years ago. At the same time, India has more than a quarter of all diabetes cases, with a prevalence rate of more than 20%.
The epidemic of type 2 diabetes is getting worse due to the rising obesity rate. According to the World Obesity Federation, about 1 billion adults and 159 million children are obese. As the risk of diabetes increases with age, the aging of the world's population also contributes to its spread. At the same time, a healthy lifestyle remains out of reach for many. The World Health Organization notes that in many countries, unhealthy foods are available at low cost, convenient, and heavily advertised, while healthy foods are becoming more expensive due to climate change, such as droughts and floods. In some regions, safe conditions for exercise are also limited.
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According to a study by the Lancet, nearly 450 million people with diabetes remain untreated, three and a half times more than in 1990. Many of them have not been diagnosed with diabetes. Although effective glucose-lowering medications are available, millions of people with diabetes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) do not have access to treatment. Leif Fenger Jensen, Executive Director of the World Diabetes Foundation, notes that "complex barriers to access to health care" in LMICs make it difficult to control diabetes, leading to underdiagnosis and limited treatment of diabetes, causing significant costs to individuals and society as a whole.
Improving access to healthcare services can facilitate the prevention and diagnosis of diabetes and make an important contribution to its control. Reducing the cost of medicines, especially in low- and middle-income countries, is another important step. There is also general agreement that additional measures are needed to reduce obesity.
A study published last month suggests that reducing the amount of sugar children receive in the womb and early childhood may protect them from diabetes and high blood pressure as adults.
Joanna Ralston, executive director of the World Obesity Forum, said that countries should take a comprehensive approach, "focusing on prevention, public health measures, and policies that limit the impact of junk food marketing, especially on children.
Add
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood glucose) or when the body is unable to use this insulin effectively. Uncontrolled diabetes leads to high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), which over time can cause serious damage to various body systems, including the nervous and vascular systems.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the body cannot use insulin properly. About 95% of people with diabetes have preventable type 2 diabetes. Being overweight, having an unbalanced diet, lack of physical activity, and genetics can increase your risk of developing it.
People with type 1 diabetes need insulin injections or a pump to survive. People with type 2 diabetes may need insulin or medications to lower their blood sugar, but changes in diet and lifestyle can also help maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Recall
According to medical data, about 5-10% of people in the world with diabetes mellitus have type I. It usually develops in children and adolescents. It is believed that this type of diabetes is the result of an autoimmune reaction.
