A new study has predicted that more than 1.3 billion adults could be living with diabetes by 2050.
According to the research, rising obesity and health inequalities worldwide can be responsible for the same. Experts believe that cases are set to rise aggressively in every country and among every age group.
The research was published in The Lancet and The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journals.
What did the study predict?
In 2021, it was estimated that 529 million people worldwide were diabetics, but the study has predicted that the cases will rise to more than 1.3 billion by 2050. As per the study authors, in the next 30 years, every country will see a startling increase in diabetes rate.
The study authors described the findings as alarming. According to them, diabetes is surpassing most diseases globally, resulting in a significant danger to people and the health system.
What factors did the study outline?
The study outlined how the effects of inequality and racism result in unequal impacts on diabetes outcomes and treatments globally.
It also focused on the negative impacts of policies and awareness, access to high-quality treatments, sociocultural standards as well as economic development. According to the authors, all these factors contribute to the disease’ inequality and further result in a lack of clinical outcomes and care, especially for disempowered ethnic and racial groups.
The study has also estimated that by 2045, three-quarters of diabetics will live in low to middle-income countries. According to Leonard Egede, study co-author and professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, the widening of inequality worldwide is to be blamed for this alarming crisis. Egede said:
“Racist policies such as residential segregation affect where people live, their access to healthy and sufficient food and health care services.”
He continued:
“This cascade of widening diabetes inequity leads to substantial gaps in care and clinical outcomes for people from historically disenfranchised racial and ethnic groups, including Black, Hispanic and Indigenous people.”
As per researchers, combating diabetes will require investment, long-term planning, and, most importantly, proper attention from countries all around the globe.
They reckon the impact of economic and social factors on the disease should be acknowledged, understood and incorporated in efforts to control the global crisis.
What is diabetes?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s a chronic medical condition that affects the process of how the body uses blood sugar (glucose) and turns foods into energy.
Over time, the disease can lead to serious health problems like vision loss, kidney diseases and heart problems. While it can affect anyone, certain factors can increase the risk of developing it. These include a family history of the condition, ethnicity, obesity and poor lifestyle.
The most common form of the disease is type 2, which accounted for approximately 95% of cases in 2021.
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