The public danger of diabetes

The public danger of diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes glucose, a type of sugar that is essential for energy and functioning. Diabetes can cause serious complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, amputation, and premature death. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), approximately 537 million adults (20-79 years) are living with diabetes worldwide, and this number is projected to rise to 783 million by 2045. More than 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which is largely preventable by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

The prevalence of diabetes varies by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and geographic region. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 38.4 million people of all ages have diabetes, of which 8.7 million are undiagnosed. The percentage of adults with diabetes increases with age, reaching 29.2% among those aged 65 years or older. Men have a slightly higher prevalence of diabetes than women (15.4% vs. 14.1%). Among racial/ethnic groups, non-Hispanic blacks have the highest prevalence of diabetes (17.4%), followed by Asians (16.7%), non-Hispanic whites (13.6%), and Hispanics (12.5%).

The burden of diabetes is not only measured by its prevalence, but also by its impact on health outcomes, quality of life, and health care costs. The IDF estimates that in 2021, diabetes caused 5.1 million deaths and 760 billion US dollars in health expenditure globally. In the United States, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in 2019, accounting for 87,647 deaths. People with diabetes have a two to four times higher risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke than people without diabetes. Diabetes is also the leading cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputation, and adult-onset blindness in the United States.

The public danger of diabetes can be reduced by implementing effective prevention and management strategies at individual and population levels. For type 2 diabetes, lifestyle interventions such as weight loss, physical activity, and healthy eating can prevent or delay its onset in high-risk individuals. For all types of diabetes, early diagnosis and optimal treatment can prevent or delay complications and improve quality of life. Moreover, public policies and environmental changes that promote healthy behaviors and reduce barriers to access health care can benefit people with or at risk of diabetes and the general population.

References
[1] IDF Diabetes Atlas. https://diabetesatlas.org/
[2] National Diabetes Statistics Report 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html
[3] Diabetes Data and Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/index.html
[4] National Diabetes Statistics Report 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf