What causes diabetes, what are the different types and how can it be treated?
IndependentJUL 2023
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.
With over 800M people now living with diabetes worldwide, a bold shift in treatment is overdue. Rather than the current one-size-fits-all prescriptions, a personalized, precision-based approach — tailoring medications to each individual's unique genetics and underlying causes — is essential. This strategy promises better health outcomes and reduced costs, empowering healthcare systems to address diabetes at its root and truly meet the diverse needs of patients.
There's a 40% chance that there will be an FDA-approved cure for Type 1 diabetes before Jan. 1, 2032, according to the Metaculus prediction community.