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SOME 422 MILLION PEOPLE worldwide have diabetes – almost one person in every 11.
Between 1980 and 2014 the number of adults with diabetes quadrupled from 108 million to 422 million.
A new study published in The Lancet gives the most comprehensive overview of worldwide diabetes trends to date.
In Ireland 3.3% of women had diabetes in 1980 (about 44,000). This rose to 5.1% in 2014 (about 110,000 women). In 1980 4.3% of men here had the condition (almost 50,000), while this rose to 7.3% in 2014 (more than 143,000).
The study did not differentiate between type-1 and type-2 diabetes, but 85-95% of cases of adult diabetes are type-2 so researchers say the rise is likely due to increases in this version.
Diabetes is a lifelong condition caused by a lack of the hormone insulin, a substance made by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar.
As set out by Diabetes Ireland, type-1 diabetes tends to occur in childhood or early adult life, and always requires treatment with insulin injections. It is caused by the body’s own immune system destroying the insulin-making cells of the pancreas.
Type-2 diabetes usually develops slowly in adulthood. It is progressive and can sometimes be treated with diet and exercise, but more often may require medicine and/or insulin injections.
Professor Majid Ezzati of Imperial College London, a senior author of the report, said: “Diabetes has become a defining issue for global public health. An ageing population, and rising levels of obesity, mean that the number of people with diabetes has increased dramatically over the past 35 years.”
The study, released ahead of World Health Day tomorrow, includes data from 751 studies totalling 4.4 million adults.
More common in men
It estimates age-adjusted diabetes prevalence for 200 countries – meaning that researchers adjusted the results to account for diabetes becoming more common as a person ages and for some countries having older populations.
Between 1980 and 2014 diabetes was more common among men than women. The global age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes doubled among men (4.3% to 9%) and increased by two-thirds among women (5% to 7.9%).
Here are some other findings:
The research shows that the condition is fast becoming a major problem in low and middle income countries.
Obesity is the most important risk factor for type-2 diabetes and our attempts to control rising rates of obesity have so far not proved successful.
“Identifying people who are at high risk of diabetes should be a particular priority since the onset can be prevented or delayed through lifestyle changes, diet or medication,” Ezzati stated.
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I have type 2 diabetes and i was on tablets and i reversed it buy loseing some weight now im not on tablets and able to enjoy treats i missed it was an eye opener for me and made all my family think about there health so there is hope out there
Just to let you know that this is about type 2 diabetes ..nothing to do with type 1 as there is nothing you can do to prevent type 1
It didn’t differentiate between the two. Which is stupid. Type 1 cannot be prevented or cured and are insulin dependent.
It clearly states in the article that they did not differentiate between type 1 and type 2 so it includes both but they have said that as 85%-95% of the cases are relating to type 1 that it is believed the increase is because of type 2. All there in the article.
It’s automatically assumed when an a paper is published about tacking increasing rates of diabetes and the lifestyle effects causing diabetes it’s referring to type 2.
It’s the Lancet, a scientific/medical journal. Given the readership… They’re not going to feel the need to differentiate something so obvious.
Sugar is the other Drug on the street.
Pointless study if you don’t differentiate between Type 1 & Type 2 and break down which Type is at fault for the increase in overall numbers. The Netflix lifestyle is at fault for increase in Type 2 – lack of exercise, binge watching TV and the fact all bad food is cheaper than good. A tax on sugary drinks is pointless – make healthy food more affordable should be the real project.
All the govt’s fault the health service is such a mess alright.
Nothing to do with the lack of personal responsibility and bad lifestyle choices….
Lifestyle choice has nothing to do with Type 1 diabetes
We need to tax sugar so bad especially fizzy drinks
Too many calories and not enough exercise are the cause of type 2 diabetes, blaming sugar shows ignorance of the topic
In that case, provide also a tax rebate for those who manage an average of 30 minutes of sport, or gardening, or walking every day. Increase tax on all fast food and oven dinners (won’t go well though an extra euro for chips, and 2 euro for adding curry sauce!) Alcohol too. First step is easy though no sugar in yer tea…
So people with type 1 diabetes have to pay more to buy lucozade and glucose tablets?
Type 2 diabetes was previously called Adult Onset Diabetes, it had to be changed as so many kids have it now. Sugar is one of the main causes. It should be eliminated from kids diets. A well known pack of jellies with no additives or preservatives has 21 teaspoons of sugar in it. Kids demolish these in minutes. Would you make your child a cup of tea and put 21 sugars in it? I imagine every parent would answer no yet they buy these sweets on a whim. Rather than sugar tax, every product should be forced to have the amount of teaspoons on sugar printed on the front of the packet. People would then make better choices.
Meanwhile in other news today, health insurance going up again, meaning more people are going to have to opt out of health insurance and with these clowns in gov introducing this risk equalization thing, we’ll all be fleeced to the hilt later on in life when we join again. Well done varadkar and the rest of ye clowns.
I think that the work of one Irishman’s effort to understand diabetes deservers due recognition here http://www.ucd.ie/medicine/ourcommunity/ouralumni/alumniprofilesinterviews/profstephenorahilly/
Type 3 diabetes is probably the most devastating.
Trans fats ban from your diet can completely reverse Diabetes type 2. Not easy unfortunately because Trans fats are not banned in the Ireland or EU. Barack Obama banned all Trans fats for US citizens from 2018. Denmark has banned them since 2006 and Switzerland since 2009 .. good to see low incidence of Diabetes Type 2 in these countries.
Trans fats are artificial industrial fats used in processed foods to prolong their life .. but shorten yours! Your insulin expects to find natural fats on the outer cell walls instead of an artificial fat (German patent : 141029)
https://www.facebook.com/Trans-Fats-Ban-Reversed-My-Diabetes-Type2
Trans fats may also be a root cause of Alzheimer’s Disease .. some interesting recent research papers on this.
Obesity is not the cause of Diabetes Type 2 … it may be coincident or have a common root cause .. Trans fats.
422 million people have diabetes. World population is c7.4B ? That’s 5 or 6% not 11% as headline says or am i missing something ?
It should read 1 in 11 adults have diabetes . Still very high though but not 1 in 11
If people stopped eating crap, this would not happen.
They’re just testing more today…
Or 1 in 11 (9%) i should say
have your say