What causes diabetes, what are the different types and how can it be treated?
IndependentFeb 03, 2023
Over 800M adults globally had type 1 or type 2 diabetes in 2022, reportedly more than four times the 1990 figure. The problem has worsened the most in low- and middle-income countries (LMCs), the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration-WHO study showed.
The 2022 global figure is nearly double the earlier WHO estimate of 422M. In rich nations like Japan and Canada, the rate has either been stable or fallen. India topped the table with over a fourth of 828M. Similarly, only 5-10% sub-Saharan adult diabetics received treatment.
Published in the Lancet on World Diabetes Day, the study showed almost 450M of the diabetics aged 30 and above (or 59%) as untreated — 90% of them in LMCs. If untreated, this chronic metabolic disease damages key organs like the heart, blood vessels, and nerves.
Diabetes is an insidious global threat. Rising obesity, urbanization, and the high cost of healthy living fuel an unprecedented surge in type 2 diabetes, especially in poorer countries. Many face diets dominated by affordable, highly-processed foods while struggling to afford better choices, with climate change worsening food insecurity. Access to diagnosis and treatment is also often limited, leaving millions undiagnosed or untreated, bearing heavy personal and economic burdens. Though effective medications exist, barriers to healthcare complicate their delivery.