A new global study finds that if nothing is done, diabetes rates will continue to rise in every country over the next 30 years.
According to estimates by researchers at the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, by 2050 there will be around 1.3 billion people living with diabetes worldwide, more than double the 529 million people affected at present.
Ninety percent will be people with Type-2 diabetes, a disease associated with obesity, dietary patterns, alcohol or tobacco consumption and lack of physical activity, and which is closely linked to poverty.
“The rapid rate at which diabetes is growing is not only alarming but also challenging for every health system in the world,” said Liane Ong, lead author of the study which appeared in medical journal, The Lancet.
The developing quantities of individuals with diabetes is to some extent driven by rising weight, and partially by segment shifts: The study demonstrated that prevalence is higher among older adults. According to the researchers, the COVID-19 pandemic's impact was not taken into account in the 204 countries' data because those numbers were not yet available.