More than 800 million adults worldwide live with diabetes
Total number of adults living with the number of cases of type 1 or 2 diabetes in the world has exceeded 800 million, more than four times the total in 1990, according to the study, which notes that more than half (59%) of these people aged 30 years and older were not receiving treatment in 2022.
The analysis was published in the journal Lancet coinciding with World Diabetes Day, Celebrated this Thursday, November 14th. Of the 828 million adults with diabetes in 2022, more than a quarter (212 million) lived in India and another 148 million in China, followed by the United States (42 million), Pakistan (36 million), Indonesia (25 million) and Brazil. (22 million).
The study was unable to separate type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults. However, previous evidence suggests that the vast majority of cases are type 2.– noted in the magazine report.
Diabetes incidence has risen sharply
Majid Ezzati from Imperial College London notes that the results show growing global inequality, with treatment rates stagnating in many low- and middle-income countries, where the number of adults with diabetes is rising sharply.
“This is especially concerning because people with diabetes tend to younger in low-income countries and without effective treatment, they are at risk of lifelong complications, including amputation, heart disease, kidney damage or vision loss, and in some cases, premature death.”
An important factor in the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes and its variation between countries is obesity and poor nutrition.
The work was carried out by the NCD Risk Factors Collaboration Network in collaboration with the World Health Organization. They used data from more than 140 million people aged 18 years and older, from about 1,000 studies: treatments were analyzed using data from adults aged 30 years and older; In addition, statistical tools were used.
From 1990 to 2022, the global rate of diabetes doubled among both men (from 6.8% in 1990 to 14.3% in 2022) and women (from 6.9% to 13.9%). If we add to this the impact of population growth and aging, this is equivalent to an estimate of 828 million people. an increase of approximately 630 million people since 1990when about 198 million adults had the disease.
The largest increases have occurred primarily in low- and middle-income countries (for example, the rate of diabetes among women in Pakistan increased from 9% in 1990 to 30.9% in 2022, the largest increase of any country).
Higher-income countries such as Japan, Canada and some Western European countries (eg France, Spain and Denmark) have seen little or no change over the past three decades.
The countries with the lowest rates in 2022 were in Western Europe and East Africa for both sexes, and Japan and Canada for women.
For example, these rates that year were only 2–4% for women in France, Denmark, Spain, Switzerland and Sweden and 3–5% for men in Denmark, France, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Spain and Rwanda. , according to Lancet.
No drugs
Three out of five adults 30 years and older with diabetes (445 million) they did not receive medication in 2022, which is three and a half times higher than in 1990.
During this decade, some countries, including many countries in Central and Western Europe, Latin America, East Asia and the Pacific, as well as Canada and South Korea, faced severe consequences. improvements in treatment rates, resulting in more than 55% receiving medications in 2022.
The highest treatment rates were observed in Belgium (86% for women, 77% for men). In Spain, 72% for women and 68% for men.
WHO calls for urgent action
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus demanded that countries take “urgent action.” control the “global epidemic” of diabetes.
“Over the past three decades, we have seen an alarming rise in diabetes, reflecting the rise in obesity, exacerbated by the effects of unhealthy food marketing, physical inactivity and economic hardship,” Adhanom said. So, the CEO of a health agency called governments to implement policies that encourage healthy eating and physical activity, and ensure that their health systems provide prevention, early detection and treatment.
To tackle the growing burden of diabetes, WHO has launched new global surveillance system diseases. This guide provides comprehensive guidance for countries on measure and evaluate diabetes prevention, care, outcomes and impact. By tracking key indicators such as glycemic control, hypertension and access to essential medicines, countries can improve targeted interventions and policy initiatives.