Despite the advances in diabetes research, it seems that we are still losing the battle to keep diabetes under control. Every year, the number of type 2 diabetes cases are piling up, slowly making the epidemic worse and worse. There seems to be no stopping the disease from affecting more and more people all over the world.
According to the recent estimates from the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes now affects a record 382 million people all over the world. Overall, it affects about 8.4 percent of the adult population around the world. It certainly increased when you compare it to the previous record of 371 million cases for 2012. Medical experts only expect the numbers to go up further. The organization even forecasts that by 2035, the number of cases will increase by 55 percent, at around 592 million.
“Year after year, the figures seem to be getting worse,” says David Whiting, an epidemiologist and public health specialist working for the IDF. “All around the world we are seeing increasing numbers of people developing diabetes.”
The vast majority of the reported cases are type 2 diabetes. This is the kind of diabetes linked to obesity and lack of physical activity. If people start watching their diet and follow a more active and healthier lifestyle, the epidemic may not be as prevalent as it is now. But this strategy will only work if there is a concerted effort in the society to try and change a type of Western, urban lifestyle that seems to fuel the disease into affecting the lives of more and more people.
Diabetes is a disease that affect the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels. If left untreated, it can lead to dangerous complications such as blindness, kidney failure, heart problems and even death.
It is also a very expensive disease to have. The federation estimates that the disease already accounts for a total healthcare spending of $548 billion annually. By 2035, it is estimated to rise by $627 billion.
What is even worse, there is an estimated 175 million cases of diabetes that remain undiagnosed. This means that there are people who go through life without getting treatment for the disease, putting them at risk of developing complications prematurely.
Tags: diabetes cases, diabetes epidemic, Diabetes News, type 2 diabetes