Diabetes 2050

Diabetes found in 1 in 10 persons in the US today is all set to become the most common in US population by 2050. It is estimated that 1 in 3 individuals will be affected with diabetes by that time according to a report submitted by d others of CDC.

Boyle and his team used census numbers and data on current diabetes cases to make models projecting a possible trend. “No matter what, diabetes will become more common” they said.

This projected 3 fold increases in diabetes incidence largely attributable to-

·         the aging of the U.S. population(due to increase in people of elderly age group)

·         lifestyle modifications (people are more adapted to sedentary life styles)

·         increasing numbers of members of higher-risk minority groups in the population (who are at a higher risk) and

·         people with diabetes living longer (increase in life expectancy of diabetics with advent of new drugs and limitation of complications of diabetes)

In the US, Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in 2007, leading cause of non-traumatic (accidental) limb amputations and an important cause of blindness in the elderly as also kidney failure and peripheral neuropathy. “Diabetes, costing the United States more than $174 billion per year in 2007, is expected to take an increasingly large financial toll in subsequent years," Boyle's team wrote.  Thus leading not only to increased morbidity (state of being diseased) and mortality (deaths) but also a heavy burden on the patients and the state.

Measures to prevent diabetes are important approach to reduce the disease burden. These include dietary changes (take healthy diet with less of fat and cholesterol and eat limited quantities of food more often than heavy diet at a time), lifestyle modifications including exercise and physical activity.

The fate of developing countries is still more alarming though actual incidence and prevalence values are not available. Thus it is all the more important for us to focus on this ‘Silent Killer’