The rate of diabetes is surging across the globe.
June 26, 2011- A much higher number of people have been diagnosed with diabetes than originally thought with the rate more than doubling worldwide since 1980. With over 347 million people afflicted with the disease the costs for treatment are expected to skyrocket.
An international team of researchers in conjunction with the World Heath Organization discovered that the rates have either remained the same or risen in all parts of the globe for the past 30 years. Previous projections had estimated about 285 million worldwide but the new numbers are remarkably higher. Of the estimated 347 million with diabetes over 138 million are in India and China and another 36 million between Russia and the United States.
Doctors say that unless there are better ways to determine those with high blood sugar and how to improve their physical activity, weight and diet then diabetes is going to continue to create a major burden around the world for health care systems.
There are dozens of treatments available for diabetes ranging from injections to pills. Sales worldwide for diabetes medications were over $35 billion in 2010 and are expected to increase to almost $50 billion by 2015. Proportion percentages between both men and women increased with 9.8% of men and 9.2% of women afflicted while in 1980 it stood are 8.3% and 7.5% respectively.
