Diabetes Epidemiology and Its Implications

Diabetes is epidemic around the world. It is estimated that by the year 2040, approximately 740 million persons will have diabetes, the majority with type 2 diabetes, and many undiagnosed. The leading cause of this is the growing prevalence of persons being overweight or obese. Another key factor is that the world’s population is growing older, a well-documented risk factor for developing diabetes. Persons with diabetes are also living longer because both their diabetes and their various cardiovascular comorbidities are being treated with greater efficacy. Genetic predisposition, lack of or inadequate physical activity, air pollution, and other environmental factors also contribute to overall risk escalation for developing diabetes. Diabetes greatly magnifies the risk for the development of both microvascular (proliferative retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy) and macrovascular diseases (coronary, carotid/cerebral, and peripheral vascular disease), greatly straining the healthcare resources of all nations. Greater effort will have to be put forth on the part of public health initiatives to stem the tide of persons afflicted with new-onset diabetes.