Some New Diabetes Numbers Published this Week

Every 2 years the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) publishes the Diabetes Atlas.  It provides some diabetes prevalence and estimates for regions around the world. The 9th edition was just published this week. It is worth a quick flip through some of their results. I thought I would share some highlights.

Diabetes in 2019

In 2019, the IDF estimates:

• 1 in 11 people aged 20-79 years has diabetes
• 1 in 2 people with diabetes is undiagnosed
• 1 in 13 people aged 20-79 years has impaired glucose tolerance (prediabetes)
• 1 in 6 live births is affected by hyperglycemia in pregnancy
• Almost two-thirds (63%) of people with diabetes are of working age (under 60 years)

Change from 2017

• 38 million more adults with diabetes
• 22 million more adults are at risk of developing diabetes
• 20 million more adults with diabetes that is not diagnosed
• 13 million more adults over 65 years of age with diabetes
• 3,600 more children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Projections for 2045

The IDF estimates that North America and the Caribbean will see a 33% increase in the number of people aged 20-79 years living with diabetes by 2045.

What does this mean for practice?

• The number of people with diabetes is only going to increase
• All healthcare professionals will have to be able to take an active role in assessing for and managing people with diabetes
• An increasing number of complicated patients are going to have be managed in primary care
• Patients are going to need increasing number of support as more people with the disease are living to become older adults
• We are going to have to increasingly work with patients to ensure that they are reaching their diabetes outcomes