Diabetes battle 'being lost' as world cases hit record 382 million

LONDON (Reuters) - The world is losing the battle against diabetes as the number of people estimated to be living with the disease soars to a new record of 382 million in 2013, medical experts said.

The vast majority have type 2 diabetes - the kind linked to obesity and lack of exercise - and the epidemic is spreading as more people in the developing world adopt Western, urban lifestyles.

The latest estimate from the International Diabetes Federation is equivalent to a global prevalence rate of 8.4 percent of the adult population and compares to 371 million cases in 2012.

By 2035, the organization predicts the number of cases will have soared by 55 percent to 592 million.

"The battle to protect people from diabetes and its disabling, life-threatening complications is being lost," the federation said in the sixth edition of its Diabetes Atlas, noting that deaths from the disease were now running at 5.1 million a year or one every six seconds.

People with diabetes have inadequate blood sugar control, which can lead to a range of dangerous complications, including damage to the eyes, kidneys and heart. If left untreated, it can result in premature death.

"Year after year, the figures seem to be getting worse," said David Whiting, an epidemiologist and public health specialist at the federation. "All around the world we are seeing increasing numbers of people developing diabetes."

He said that a strategy involving all parts of society was needed to improve diets and promote healthier lifestyles.

The federation calculates diabetes already accounts for annual healthcare spending of $548 billion and this is likely to rise to $627 billion by 2035.

Worryingly, an estimated 175 million of diabetes cases are as yet undiagnosed, so a huge number of people are progressing towards complications unawares. Most of them live in low- and middle-income countries with far less access to medical care than in the United States and Europe.

The country with the most diabetics overall is China, where the case load is expected to rise to 142.7 million in 2035 from 98.4 million at present.

But the highest prevalence rates are to be found in the Western Pacific, where more than a third of adults in Tokelau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands are already living with the disease.
(baffling :smt017 China, while shocking, I at least understand on a ratio level, but the Polynesian countries?)

Pharmaceutical companies have developed a range of medicines over the years to counter diabetes but many patients still struggle to control their condition adequately, leading to a continuing hunt for improved treatments.

Novo Nordisk, Sanofi and Eli Lilly are all major suppliers of insulin and other diabetes therapies.

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I recall years ago reading a newspaper article on an Indian town that had no Diabetic cases...until a McDonald's opened there, and many of the town's people began eating there. After a few years, obesity and diabetic cases began to appear and they were correlating it to the American restaurant...

 

Here's my boy....... Dr. Peter Glidden.
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I wonder if Type 1 cases are increasing as well. It's a shame that modern diets and lack of activity are such a contributing factor to Type 2.

 

Maybe the preservatives in our foods for a longer shelf life are contributing. Along with less physical jobs and the high stress levels of life.....

 

Processed food is probably a major culprit. With the modern era's less physical work environment, we've all got to make an effort to increase our physical activity levels.

 

Cycling being a great activity. I've fallen off the wagon. :-(

 

Well, time to get back on. There's no time like the present! You can do it, bro!

 

I figured you be positive about it and I got on. That saddle is a bitch!!! I'm taking it easy though. Riding the mountain bike around with flat pedals.

 

Slow and steady wins the race. You'll be surpassing your old levels in no time. Whenever I start moaning and groaning about running, I just get up and go. By the first few blocks, I've focused on the run and forgotten about why I didn't want to. I cheat like everyone and skip a run once in a while, but I'm always happy that I have gone once I finish.

 

Great advice! I feel you on the cheating. Then I realize I'm only hurting myself. Lol

 

How far are you riding?

 

For starters about 5-8 for break-in purposes. Lol

 

That's a nice start. Add a mile a day, stay hydrated and hit that 25-mile mark. You identify your favorite route yet?

 

Yelp, but it's my road bike route. It's calm and smooth with minimal traffic ( 1-2 cars per 3-5 miles).

 

Man, that's nice! I hate worrying about which idiot driver is going to run over me all the time.

 

That's usually why we ride in packs. It detours the bs. You really should see the route, it's amazing!! Fresh air and a peace of mind pulling hills on the countryside. Lol

 

this is a shame....with this kind of report the gop need to stop fighting healthy food being put into the school lunchroom

 

I use a stationary bike and burn over 400 calories and over 100 calories from fat. I have covered a distance of at least 8 miles and have lost a lot of inches. Also, cutting out soda and large portions is also a good help. I try to do the stationary bike at least a half hour a day for like three or four days and rest for two days so that my muscles can recover. In the past three months since my diagnosis, I have become a lot thinner than before and I am breathing much better. And I am drinking more water than I want to. But, I have to remember that this will not happen over night and I will have to keep going through strength, determination and faith to succeed. You can do it.

 

Now that's what's up! Keep it up, Stizzy!