Doubling to 14 percent in 30 years 800 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes
In the last 30 years, the number of diabetes cases worldwide has doubled in percentage terms, with a particularly sharp rise in developing countries.
14.11.2024, 11:57
14.11.2024, 17:16
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- The percentage of adults suffering from diabetes worldwide has doubled in the last three decades - from seven percent in 1990 to 14 percent of the world's population today.
- Taking population growth into account, this means that 800 million people are affected by diabetes today compared to 200 million in 1990.
- Developments in individual countries vary.
The number of adults suffering from diabetes worldwide has doubled in the last three decades. The increase is particularly significant in developing countries.
A study published in the British journal "The Lancet" to mark World Diabetes Day shows that around seven percent of adults had diabetes in 1990. By 2022, this proportion had risen to 14 percent. Taking population growth into account, the research team estimates that over 800 million people are affected today, compared to less than 200 million in 1990.
The study includes both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. While type 2 diabetes, the most common form, is often caused by genetic factors, obesity, an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, type 1 diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin and usually occurs in childhood or adolescence.
Different developments in different countries
Despite the global increase, developments vary from country to country. In wealthy countries such as France, Denmark, Japan and Canada, the number of diabetes cases has remained stable or even decreased.
In low- and middle-income countries, however, the number of cases has risen rapidly. In Pakistan, almost one in three women is now affected, compared to less than one in ten in 1990. The study cites increasing obesity as a major factor in this development.
Unequal treatment options
The gap in the treatment of diabetes between rich and poor countries is widening. In 2022, it is estimated that three in five diabetics over the age of 30 will receive no treatment, affecting a total of 445 million adults. Almost a third of these untreated cases live in India. In South African countries, only five to ten percent of adults with diabetes received treatment.
One reason for the worldwide increase in obesity is our food. Marc Tittgemeyer at the Max Planck Institute in Cologne has discovered that fat and sugar not only make food particularly high in calories, they also reinforce each other in their reward effect on our brains. According to the researchers, mice can change their learned eating habits and preferences. Whether humans are also able to do this is still unclear.