Health experts in a new study have revealed that around half a billion people across the world might be suffering from diabetes. However, these people do not have a clue about the disease they are dealing with. The study has been done by experts from the University of Michigan. The authors of the study have said that the number of people dealing with diabetes around the world has gone up more than quadruple since 1980. In 1980, experts have found around 108 million people dealing with the disease. They have said that the disease is no longer restricted to rich countries and people who can afford expensive and unhealthy food as around 80 percent of people dealing with diabetes are living in low or middle-income nations.
However, the authors of the study have not been able to find out the reason behind rising cases of diabetes around the world and why low-income countries are badly hit by the disease. Earlier, experts have said that a mixture of large-scale movement of people living in the countryside to big cities, unhealthy eating habits, and sedentary lifestyle might be the cause high prevalence of this condition. The findings of the new study have been released in the medical journal called The Lancet. The lead author of the study, David Flood has said that health authorities need to focus on these people more carefully. He has said that diabetes medicines are available at cheaper costs around the world and people can reduce the risk factor by modifying their lifestyle.
The team of experts from the University of Michigan has come up with the findings after surveying nearly 68000 people who have been in the age range of 25 to 64 years. These participants have been from 55 low and middle-income countries across the world. The study has revealed that more than 37000 participants have been found to be living with diabetes but they have never been clinically diagnosed. As per the health experts, type 1 diabetes or juvenile diabetes takes place when the body is unable to produce enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes happens quite later in life when the body faces trouble producing insulin. Experts have said that around 90 percent of participants who have been enrolled in the study have been detected with type 2 diabetes. It might be due to an unhealthy lifestyle, said the experts. The study has shown that people who are living in low-income countries are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with diabetes. These people usually do not have much access to care.
The authors of the study have said that people living in smaller islands in the South Pacific Ocean have been found to be severely hit by the disease and they do not have many treatment options as well. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that in the US, around 34 million people are dealing with diabetes at present. As per the reports, celebrities like Tom Hanks and Patti LaBelle have also been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Musician Nick Jonas as well has been detected with type 1 diabetes. Health experts from the US have said that nearly 90 percent of people who are living with diabetes in the US are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The new study has come up with shocking facts that only one in 10 people who are dealing with the condition is able to get the care that is required to live with the disease.
The authors of the study have said that diabetes can shoot up the risk of heart attack by three times. The disease can put people at risk of leg amputation as well. They have said the condition can result in stroke, kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, and other health issues during pregnancy. Experts who have put together the new study have said that less than half of the participants of the study have been taking medicines for lowering blood sugar or blood pressure. At the same time, less than a third of them have access to expert advice on diet and exercise. Around 85 percent of people who have been clinically diagnosed with the condition have been taking medications to reduce their blood sugar, whereas around 57 percent of them have been taking blood pressure medicines.
Only 9 percent of them have been taking some medicines to maintain their cholesterol levels, said the experts. Considering all these findings, the authors of the study have said that less than one out of five people with the disease have been getting the proper care that is required. Experts have found that women, wealthier people, and those who are dealing with obesity around the world are more likely to have access to good treatment. Diabetes among people from low-income countries and who maintain normal body weight is not a surprising thing.
