Global cases of diabetes have surged over the past three decades, now affecting over 800 million people worldwide, according to a landmark international study.
Research published in The Lancet revealed that adult diabetes rates have risen significantly, doubling from approximately 7% in 1990 to around 14% in 2022. The steepest increases were observed in low- and middle-income nations.
This study represents the first comprehensive global analysis of diabetes prevalence and treatment across all countries. Researchers analysed data from over 140 million adults across more than 1,000 studies worldwide.
The findings highlighted growing health disparities, with over half of all diabetes cases concentrated in just four countries. In 2022, India accounted for more than 212 million cases, China for 148 million, the United States for 42 million, and Pakistan for 36 million. Indonesia and Brazil also reported significant numbers, with 25 million and 22 million cases, respectively.
Among high-income Western nations, the United States and the United Kingdom had the highest diabetes prevalence rates, at 12.5% and 8.8%, respectively.
Responding to the study, Chantal Mathieu, the president of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, urged policymakers to adopt preventative strategies and increase access to screening.
This will chime with many of our members, whose products can improve rates of early diabetes diagnosis or identify those at-risk to enable prevention of the disease.
