The global diabetes rate has risen by 45 percent over the last few decades, according to new research published in the British medical journal The Lancet.
Over the years, diabetes rates have soared in rich countries, but now it appears that poorer, third world countries are following suit. Type 2 diabetes accounts for the vast majority of the increase, which is the most common form of the disease.
The Lancet noted that the findings suggest a notable shift in disease management across the globe. Communicable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis have declined sharply since 1990, but we’ve seen a large increase in chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes. Researchers say the pattern is linked to increased life spans and overall economic improvement, but the shift has left countries scrambling to treat the new, oftentimes expensive, conditions.
Diabetes Study
For the study, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) examined health data from more than 35,000 sources across 188 countries. The study sought to uncover the rate of disease disability in a given population. After tracking numerous disorders, researchers uncovered.
- The overall rate of disability fell from 114 per 1,000 in 1990 to 110 per 1,000 in 2013.
- The prevalence of diabetes in China increase 56 percent over the last 23 years.
- The United States saw a 71 percent increase, Saudi Arabia had a 60 percent increase, and Mexico had a 52 percent increase in diabetes rates over the same period.
- In Saudi Arabia, estimates suggest that there are 17,817 cases of diabetes per 100,000 people. Comparably, China has 6,480 per 100,0000, and the US had 6,630 per 100,000.
Although the sharp increase is troubling, on an encouraging note, death rates from diabetes have decreased substantially. Theo Vos, a professor of global health at IHME said people with diabetes are living longer because medical systems have gotten better at preventing problematic symptoms and conditions associated with the disease. That said, the increase in patients with diabetes is taking a toll on our medical system.
“On balance the burden is coming down — it’s better to be alive, even if you have disability,” Vos said. “But the downside is that it requires much more health system resources to treat people with these chronic problems.”
Dr. Silverman comments
It’s not surprising that diabetes rates are going up. It seems like there’s a fast food joint on every corner, and we’re becoming a more sedentary society thanks to smartphones.
It’s also not surprising that doctors are getting better at treating the condition. The more people you see with a disease, the better you’ll get at managing and treating the symptoms and side effects.
Related source: Time
