1 In 10 Adults May Have Diabetes By 2030

GENEVA — The International Diabetes Federation predicts that at least one in 10 adults could have diabetes by 2030, according to its latest statistics.

In a report issued on Monday, the advocacy group estimated that 552 million people could have diabetes in two decades' time based on factors like aging and demographic changes. Currently, the group says that about one adult in 13 has diabetes.

The figure includes both types of diabetes as well as cases that are undiagnosed. The group expects the number of cases to jump by 90 percent even in Africa, where infectious diseases have previously been the top killer. Without including the impact of increasing obesity, the International Diabetes Federation said its figures were conservative.

According to the World Health Organization, there are about 346 million people worldwide with diabetes, with more than 80 percent of deaths occurring in developing countries. The agency projects diabetes deaths will double by 2030 and said the International Diabetes Federation's prediction was possible.

"It's a credible figure," said Gojka Roglic, head of WHO's diabetes unit. "But whether or not it's correct, we can't say."

Roglic said the projected future rise in diabetes cases was because of aging rather than the obesity epidemic. Most cases of diabetes are Type 2, the kind that mainly hits people in middle age, and is linked to weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle.

Roglic said a substantial number of future diabetes cases were preventable. "It's worrying because these people will have an illness which is serious, debilitating, and shortens their lives," she said. "But it doesn't have to happen if we take the right interventions."

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Online:

http://www.idf.org

http://www.who.int

Comments

[Allison Wunderland]

04:07 PM on 12/05/2011

The American Diet is a food-borne illness. Read the label on processed, prepared food. It's mostly fat, sugar, salt -- all of which contribute to "metabolic syndrome." This syndrome is characterized by high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and Type II diabetes.

It's difficult to eat a decent diet when the options in the American landscape are fat, salt, and sugar laden processed food.

[SoulOfDespair]

11:54 AM on 12/12/2011

It's also difficult to buy healthy food when sometimes they are pricier than junk food.

[Matt Blanc]

11:02 AM on 12/04/2011

Trying to cut sugar and starch from food, eat more dark vegetables, etc. - it's very hard to do during the gloomy winter days and with holiday parties and holiday sweets all over the stores! I'm trying to keep away from the sugar and starch by remembering people like my grandparents - for them, sweets were only for special occasions, not everyday. So I have no-sugar ice cream on Saturday night for a treat, not every night. (Boring life, but otherwise I'd be a blimp.)

[Martisa Vignali]

12:48 AM on 11/29/2011

This is an alarmingly high percentage of persons getting diabetes, and I had read a study where they are claiming statin medicines may be to blame for some cases of adult onset diabetes.

[Sandog47]

09:07 PM on 11/19/2011

With the dramatic increase in the use of antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs and the proven link between those drugs and diabetes I am not surprised at the increase in Diabetes.

[Huffer1982]

08:42 PM on 11/23/2011

Ummmm......I think link is the 'epidemic' of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

[Thethoughtfulcritic]

08:46 PM on 11/18/2011

Everyone needs to start to wake up; this can really turn into something very serious.

[kornel]

05:18 PM on 11/17/2011

This is a true emergency...

Luckily there are manageable, affordable solutions.

First off, we should be preventing our loved ones from even acquiring the illness in the first place (here is an awesome overview on that: http://nutritionfacts [dot] org/videos/how-to-prevent-diabetes/)

Secondly, we can treat it (http://nutritionfacts [dot] org/videos/how-to-treat-diabetes/)

NutritionFacts. org is entirely non-commercial and science-based. As a skeptic, I myself did a fair bit of research before really figuring out that this is the real deal. For Christmas this year, I'm asking my family to watch an entire playlist of the videos on NutritionFacts! You should consider doing the same...

[DannyHaszard]

03:30 PM on 11/16/2011

Be aware of drugs that potentiate diabetes.
Eli Lilly Zyprexa Olanzapine issues linger.

The use of powerful antipsychotic drugs has increased in children as young as three years old. Weight gain, increases in triglyceride levels and associated risks for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The average weight gain (adults) over the 12 week study period was the highest for Zyprexa—17 pounds. You’d be hard pressed to gain that kind of weight sport-eating your way through the holidays.One in 145 adults died in clinical trials of those taking the antipsychotic drug Zyprexa.
This was Lilly's # 1 product over $ 4 billion per year sales,moreover Lilly also make billions on drugs that treat the diabetes often that has been caused by the zyprexa!

--- Daniel Haszard Zyprexa victim activist and patient.
FMI http://www.zyprexa-victims.com

[Ranveig Elvebakk]

06:50 PM on 11/14/2011

We don't need to look far since the cause is known to be overeating on sugar. What we need to take a serious look at, is why we don't do anything about it -

[greenearthbazar]

11:14 AM on 11/14/2011

It's time people take a serious look at what's causing this epidemic to occur - you are what you eat (and what you put on your skin)! If you don't move it, you're going to lose it.

[madmikiemike]

11:10 AM on 11/14/2011

i have to wonder if there are only two types of diabetes. there ought to be a number of things that can cause the onset of diabetes in adults other than a sedentary lifestyle and obesity. i have diabetes that afflicts many of my first cousins. we trace this back to my Grandmother and call it our family legacy. i got the condition when i was 41 and far from being inactive, i was a construction worker when it hit me. and i have never been anything like obese in my life. i'm 5'9' tall and 164 pounds when i got diabetes. my symptoms were more like those associated with type 1; incredible thirst, constant need to urinate, and sudden rapid weight loss. my doctors have been treating it as type 2,but i have my doubts. there is a problem with the gall bladder that can cause diabetes, can't recall the exact conditon, but aside from diabetes, one other ailment our diabetes have is the need to sooner or later have the gall bladder yanked.

[MommyMD]

05:32 PM on 11/14/2011

There are numerous forms of diabetes besides DM1 and DM2....secondary diabetes- from hemachromatosis etc., MODY, and probably thousands of monogenic (caused by one gene) forms. Since many genetic forms of DM can be treated with DM2 drugs, patients are treated like type 2.