What is diabetes?
According to the web definition of diabetes, it is a disease:
1. A disease in which the body does not properly control the amount of sugar in the blood. As a result, the level of sugar in the blood is too high...
2. A chronic disease associated with abnormally high levels of sugar in the blood.
3. Diabetes is a life-long disease marked by elevated levels of sugar in the blood. It can be caused by too little insulin (a chemical produced by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar), resistance to insulin, or both.
Taken from: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1B2GGFB_enPH212PH213&defl=en&q=define:diabetes&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
According to WHO definition of diabetes:
Diabetes is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia).
http://www.who.int/topics/diabetes_mellitus/en/
QUICK DIABETES FACTS - Diabetes causes about 5% of all deaths globally each year.
- 80% of people with diabetes live in low and middle income countries.
- Most people with diabetes in low and middle income countries are middle-aged (45-64), not elderly (65+).
- Diabetes deaths are likely to increase by more than 50% in the next 10 years without urgent action.
What are the two types of diabetes?
There are two types of diabetes. These are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes: Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent or childhood-onset diabetes) is characterized by a lack of insulin production. Without daily administration of insulin, Type 1 diabetes is rapidly fatal.
- Symptoms include excessive excretion of urine (polyuria), thirst (polydipsia), constant hunger, weight loss, vision changes and fatigue. These symptoms may occur suddenly.
http://www.who.int/topics/diabetes_mellitus/en/
Formerly this type of diabetes was called “Juvenile-Onset” diabetes as it occurs most often in children and young adults. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease because the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys its own insulin producing (beta) cells. Thus, the pancreas stops making insulin or makes only a tiny amount. Without insulin, the body starts using fat for energy, producing harmful byproducts called ketones. Insulin is necessary to life, so the hormone must be injected every day for life.
http://www.whittier.org/pages/what_type1.html
Type 2 diabetes: Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes) is caused by the body’s ineffective use of insulin. It often results from excess body weight and physical inactivity. Type 2 diabetes comprises 90% of people with diabetes around the world, and is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity.
- Symptoms may be similar to those of Type 1 diabetes, but are often less marked. As a result, the disease may be diagnosed several years after onset, once complications have already arisen.
- Until recently, this type of diabetes was seen only in adults but it is now also occurring in obese children.
http://www.who.int/topics/diabetes_mellitus/en/
Type 2 Diabetes This form of diabetes is the most common and generally occurs in adults, but is on the rise in children and young adults. Risk factors include family history of diabetes, being over the ideal weight, a sedentary lifestyle, having diabetes during pregnancy and being a member of certain racial or ethnic groups. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, Native Americans, and some Asian American and Pacific Islanders are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes.
It usually begins as insulin resistance, a disorder in which the cells in the body cannot use insulin effectively. As a result of this resistance, sugar cannot get into the body’s cells, and remains trapped in the bloodstream. When the blood sugar remains high, the pancreas overcompensates and produces more insulin. Eventually, the insulin producing "beta" cells no longer function properly, resulting in decreased insulin production and elevated blood sugar levels.
http://www.whittier.org/pages/what_type1.html
Trends of type II diabetes worldwide
DIABETES FACTS
- The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number is likely to more than double by 2030.
- In 2005, an estimated 1.1 million people died from diabetes.
- Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.
- Almost half of diabetes deaths occur in people under the age of 70 years; 55% of diabetes deaths are in women.
- WHO projects that diabetes deaths will increase by more than 50% in the next 10 years without urgent action. Most notably, diabetes deaths are projected to increase by over 80% in upper-middle income countries between 2006 and 2015.
WHAT ARE COMMON CONSEQUENCES OF DIABETES?
Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
- Diabetic retinopathy is an important cause of blindness, and occurs as a result of long-term accumulated damage to the small blood vessels in the retina. After 15 years of diabetes, approximately 2% of people become blind, and about 10% develop severe visual impairment.
- Diabetic neuropathy is damage to the nerves as a result of diabetes, and affects up to 50% of people with diabetes. Although many different problems can occur as a result of diabetic neuropathy, common symptoms are tingling, pain, numbness, or weakness in the feet and hands.
- Combined with reduced blood flow, neuropathy in the feet increases the chance of foot ulcers and eventual limb amputation.
- Diabetes is among the leading causes of kidney failure. 10-20% of people with diabetes die of kidney failure.
- Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. 50% of people with diabetes die of cardiovascular disease (primarily heart disease and stroke).
- The overall risk of dying among people with diabetes is at least double the risk of their peers without diabetes.
WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF DIABETES?
Diabetes and its complications impose significant economic consequences on individuals, families, health systems and countries.
WHO estimates that over the next 10 years (2006-2015), China will lose $ 558 billion in foregone national income due to heart disease, stroke and diabetes alone.
HOW CAN THE BURDEN OF DIABETES BE REDUCED?
Without urgent action, diabetes-related deaths will increase by more than 50% in the next 10 years.
To help prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications, people should:
- Achieve and maintain healthy body weight.
- Be physically active - at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity activity on most days. More activity is required for weight control.
Early diagnosis can be accomplished through relatively inexpensive blood testing.
Treatment of diabetes involves lowering blood glucose and the levels of other known risk factors that damage to blood vessels. Tobacco cessation is also important to avoid complications.
Interventions that are both cost saving and feasible in developing countries include:
- Moderate blood glucose control. People with type 1 diabetes require insulin; people with type 2 diabetes can be treated with oral medication, but may also require insulin;
- Blood pressure control;
- Foot care.
Other cost saving interventions include:
- Screening for retinopathy (which causes blindness);
- Blood lipid control (to regulate cholesterol levels);
- Screening for early signs of diabetes-related kidney disease.
These measures should be supported by a healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use.
WHO ACTIVITIES TO PREVENT AND CONTROL DIABETES
WHO aims to stimulate and support the adoption of effective measures for the surveillance, prevention and control of diabetes and its complications, particularly in low and middle-income countries. To this end, WHO:
- Provides scientific guidelines for diabetes prevention;
- Develops norms and standards for diabetes care;
- Builds awareness on the global epidemic of diabetes; including partnership with the International Diabetes Federation in the celebration of World Diabetes Day (14 November);
- Conducts surveillance of diabetes and its risk factors.
The WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health complements WHO's diabetes work by focusing on population-wide approaches to promote healthy diet and regular physical activity, thereby reducing the growing global problem of overweight and obesity. The Strategy calls upon all stakeholders to take action at the global, regional and local levels and aims to lead to a significant reduction in the prevalence of diabetes and other chronic diseases.
WHO's work on diabetes is integrated into the overall WHO chronic disease prevention and control framework of the Department of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion. The strategic objectives of the Department are to raise awareness about the global epidemic of chronic diseases; create healthy environments, especially for poor and disadvantaged populations; slow and reverse trends in common chronic disease risk factors such as unhealthy diet and physical inactivity; and prevent premature deaths and avoidable disability due to major chronic diseases.
From: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/diabetes/publications/Definition%20and%20diagnosis%20of%20diabetes_new.pdf
http://www.unitefordiabetes.org/assets/files/UN_Resolution.pdf
http://www.who.int/features/galleries/chronic_diseases/zahida/01_en.html
http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/diabetes/01_en.html
Figures & Graphs
Country and regional data World
Prevalence of diabetes worldwide
| 2000 | 2030 |
| World | 171,000,000 | 366,000,000 |
http://www.who.int/diabetes/facts/world_figures/en/
Diabetes is a life threatening condition. Recent WHO calculations indicate that worldwide almost 3 million deaths per year are attributable to diabetes.
http://www.who.int/diabetes/publications/DiabetesMortalityArticle2005.pdf
http://www.who.int/diabetes/actionnow/en/mapdiabprev.pdf
http://www.who.int/diabetes/actionnow/en/diabprev.pdf
http://www.who.int/diabetes/facts/en/diabcare0504.pdf
Watch some videos about type II diabetes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KucPnO0dCQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJl67b24grY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CodB8Q71SokBe aware of type II diabetes!
